Academy need your vote

BSA seek £25,000 match funding

Blantyre Soccer Academy (BSA) is asking the public to vote for them in this year’s Aviva Community Fund competition as they bid to start a new community cycling scheme.

The Academy are seeking £25,000 match funding to support the development of their latest project, Blantyre Bikes Better.

Their initiative aims to get 300 local children and families to take up cycling or have the confidence to venture further on their own bikes.

As part of the project the Academy was recently successful in a capital bid to purchase a range of quality bikes for all ages, safety gear and safe storage.

Furthermore, they will be the first community sports club in South Lanarkshire to have a special ‘O-pair’ wheelchair bike ensuring that people of all abilities have access to cycling.

Academy chairman Jimmy Whelan said: “We will break down the barriers to cycling and get the community out on their bikes.

“We want to increase their confidence, health, sense of freedom and widened horizons that cycling can bring.

“We will offer a range of services including community bike rides, bike training, bike maintenance/repair and bike sharing/swapping.

“We will work with a steering group of local people to map out safer bike routes in and around Blantyre/ Hamilton and produce a map which will be available to people to allow them to enjoy cycling.

“We plan to do this whilst reducing the barrier to cycling due to the fear of crime and road safety.

“In addition we will work with the police, local schools and youth groups to engage children at an early age about the benefits of cycling.”

The Aviva Community Fund is open to everyone and asks people to tell them what a difference these much-needed funds could make to their chosen project.

Enough votes from friends, family and supporters in the community can see such a project entered into the finals, where a judging panel will award the funds.

Such funding would support the development of this project by enabling the Academy to employ a full time project worker.

The worker will help enthuse people to become active participants and leaders within the project through volunteering, and helping to the project long term.

Blantyre Soccer Academy is one of the leading community sports organisations in South Lanarkshire, successfully balancing sports development and community cohesion.

Youngsters from all over Lanarkshire train at the Academy at the Palace Grounds in Hamilton and at Calderside Academy and is open to children, young people and families in the Blantyre and surrounding areas of South Lanarkshire.

Since 2010 BSA has played a significant role in providing diversionary activities, interventions and opportunities for young people living in and around the Blantyre area.

Jimmy added: “Our vision is to make BSA more than a football club by offering training and learning opportunities in multiple sports, play and learning opportunities, inclusive to all local people and families.

“We do this by creating strong links to the community through our recruitment of local people onto our voluntary committee, parent volunteers and youth development programmes.”

To vote for the Academy in the Aviva Community Fund awards visit https:// community-fund.aviva.co.uk. sustain