Kids are streets ahead

Hundreds of kids across Renfrewshire enjoyed free activity camps during the Easter holidays.

The Street Stuff multi-sports and dance camps – provided by Renfrewshire Council’s community learning and development team and St Mirren Football Club – were fully booked during the fortnight’s break, with around 750 places taken each week.

The camps located in Ferguslie, Foxbar, Gallowhill, Johnstone, Linwood and Renfrew were open to anyone aged five to 14.

Activities available included football, basketball, handball, hockey, badminton, tennis, dance and more.

Everyone who attended got a free healthy lunch.

Councillor Marie McGurk, convener of the council’s communities and housing policy board, visited the camp in Linwood. She told the Express: “Seeing children and young people have a great time during the school holidays is what the holiday period is all about.

“By putting on these activities, we are supporting children and young people to have a fun break from school.”

In addition to the school holiday camps, the awardwinning Street Stuff programme provides year-round free multisport, gaming and educational activities to young people aged eight to 16 during the evening.

Activities include football, basketball and dance, with games consoles, tablets and WiFi available within the Youth Bus.

Cllr McGurk added: “Street Stuff is well established within our communities, with the weekly activities supporting children and young people’s wellbeing.

“The education activities support local issues and also create pathways for young people into employment through training and volunteering, with many young people who attended the activities going on to work as coaches within Street Stuff and our partners.”