Football club’s pledge to tackle poverty and addiction in Dundee

Dundee United has unveiled a fiveyear plan to help tackle poverty and addiction in the city.

The club also revealed to fans they had won a community prize while outlining their plans.

The club’s community trust took the wraps off its strategy to improve lives as plans were relayed to supporters at a Tannadice breakfast meeting.

Jamie Kirk, chief executive for the trust, outlined the programmes for football coaching with recovering alcohol and drug addicts, working with disabled groups and developing existing schemes.

The trust spends £100,000 a year delivering activities including a breakfast club for local primary schools, plus fitness and health education sessions at Tannadice for over-35s.

In recognition of the trust’s services, it was awarded a Good Governance Award from Dundee Volunteer and Voluntary Action.

Jamie said: “We feel that our new strategic plan is ambitious and that in delivering our mission and meeting our goals we will be able to achieve strong outcomes for the people we work with.

“During the past two-and-a half years we have gained a real understanding of what our community needs and a key part of this plan is to match our skills and experiences against gaps in provision.

“One main principle throughout the plan is that we will prioritise our resources and our efforts in the areas where they will deliver the strongest benefit.”

David Dorward, chairman of the community trust, said: “Jamie Kirk, now our chief executive, was our first member of staff in 2017 and now, two-and-a-half years later, the growth has been exceptional – not just in terms of participants, but in the range of projects we presently deliver from the J-league to educational projects.”

One guest at the meeting was Greg Fenton, community manager at rivals Dundee FC, who said: “Football is part of this city and is ingrained in it.

“So it is important for both clubs to work together.”