Footballing trust scores a winner

A pioneering project is bringing smiles to many faces in an Angus town by using the power of the beautiful game. Michael Alexander visits the Links Park Community Trust in Montrose

Former Montrose Academy pupil Peter Davidson has experienced the highs and the lows of Scottish football both on and off the field. The one-time Brechin City team member, who gave up playing at an early age to pursue an off-field career in the game, moved from his role as a sports lecturer at Inverness College to become head of sports science at Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club.

He was part of Craig Brewster’s management team which took over the reins at Dundee United following manager Gordon Chisholm’s sacking in 2006 and has also worked for sportscotland.

However, it is his burning desire to set up a community football project and tackle inequality in his home town of Montrose which has fuelled his passion since.

In 2011 he proposed the Links Park Community Trust to a few influential locals. Four years on from its launch, the scheme works with everyone from working with youngsters who might otherwise be tempted to take a step on the road to drink and drugs, to pensioners suffering with dementia.

The independent charity has developed a range of innovative awardwinning programmes and now works with more than 1,000 people per week, ranging in age from 18 months to 96.

Remarkable journey

It’s been a remarkable journey and Peter’s enthusiasm and passion for the project is evident as we catch up at Montrose FC’s Links Park stadium, where the trust is based.

“We aim to use the power and widespread appeal of sport and in particular football to make positive changes,” explains Peter, 35, as we watch a children’s summer camp under way on the Gable Endies’ 3G artificial pitch. “That’s across three areas of work – sport, education and health.

“We firmly believe football is one of the best, if not the best, training grounds to support children and help develop the life skills required for learning and work.”

The youngest participants take part in the Links Park Mini Dribblers.

However, the trust also has a very strong walking football programme, where men in their seventies play the beautiful game at a pace more suitable for them. The trust team are current Scottish Walking Football Champions and will travel to England for the UK championships in November.

The trust was also the first organisation in the UK to offer Walking Football for women.

Funded by charities including Comic Relief, it also has football for every age in between and is able to use all of Montrose FC’s facilities and enthusiastic staff.

Tackling issues

What Peter is most proud of, however, are the benefits away from sport, tackling what he sees as inequalities in areas like mental health, social isolation and obesity.

The trust aims to make its work accessible and affordable to everyone through the absence of a set fee, instead asking for a suggested donation.

“I think what’s so exciting is the different areas in which we work,” continues Peter, a father of two football-daft boys, who also runs a training company with his wife.

“For example, around mental health and well-being, our project officer Andrew Westcott goes into Stracathro Hospital and works with inpatients.

“The stats coming back from the health professionals are that not only are we having a great impact on the patients but also on staff because of their mood in the hours after the football session. We also work closely with the police. The local community officer says that since we started working on Friday nights, the number of calls related to anti-social behaviour in Montrose has dramatically reduced.”

Education is a central aim and the trust works with the six town primary schools.

A health trail has been developed for P1s, a numeracy trail for P3s and a literacy trail for P5s which sees youngsters take on role play, whether it be as a new signing in the boardroom or a sports reporter asking those key questions.

The P7 trail focuses on science and explores topics such as friction on the 3G pitch.

Peter says the benefits are wideranging: “As a player in the mock press conference, the P5 youngsters, for example, have to speak with clarity and enthusiasm.

“It’s all linked to life skills and employability later in life. Some of the testimonials from teachers are that they just can’t get some of their pupils to speak with that enthusiasm and clarity and expression.

“It’s because they are that ‘new signing’ for Montrose FC – it’s bringing out the best in them.”

We firmly believe football is one of, if not the best, training ground to support children