Two team up for sporting partnerships in Peebles

From left, Adrian Lucas, ClubSport Tweeddale Chairman, Sarah Keen, Peeblesshire Youth Trust Programme Manager and Lori Lee, Live Borders Club Development Officer.

Representatives of ClubSport Tweeddale and the Peeblesshire Youth Trust (PYT), working with Live Borders club development officer Lori Lee, have signed a two-year partnership agreement to deliver a programme of joint working until September 2019.

The partnership aims to establish sessions, through links with local clubs, to allow children supported by PYT to try new sports as part of their group activities.

Peeblesshire Youth Trust aims to empower local youngsters, aged 10-14, by providing support and encouragement to help them achieve their potential.

Through group activities and work with volunteer mentors, the aim is to increase confidence and promote participation and inclusion within the community.

Sarah Keen, programme manager of PYT said: “This support from ClubSport Tweeddale will increase the opportunities available to the children we engage with at PYT.

“It will open new doors for many young people to try sports for the first time and encourage them to participate in physical activities more often.

“This, in turn, can improve confidence, resilience and self-esteem, as well as demonstrating advantages for the health and wellbeing of young people.”

Funding, provided by ClubSport Tweeddale, will be used to bring local clubs together to offer activities, along with use of the gym and local swimming pool.

The first activities have already started, with horse riding lessons at Stable Life during the October holidays.

The next sessions include trampolining with local club PHD FUNdamentals and football in Romanno Bridge, while further sessions are planned in Peebles.

Live Borders’ Lori Lee added: “Working together allows PYT to establish a link with local sporting bodies and potentially open the doors of clubs to children who would not normally have had the opportunity to try the sports and activities onoffer.

“It is hoped that, by affording these opportunities, PYT participants would gain the confidence to continue within club sessions if they have found a new love of the sport.”