Paarl East comes to Glasgow

Three football coaches from  Paarl East, South Africa are visiting Glasgow this week.  The coaches are from a community Sports Programme in South Africa that World Emergency Relief UK (WER) has been supporting since 2006. 

While in Glasgow they will be taking part in community coaching courses, visiting donors and meeting inmates at Castle Huntly who have been supporting the programme.

Since 2006 World Emergency Relief UK (WER) and Glasgow the Caring City have been supporting a community sports programme in South Africa which uses football as a means to help children and teenagers address the various social issues they face.  In the underprivileged townships of Paarl East and Mbekweni there is high unemployment, cramped housing conditions, and many children risk getting drawn into crime and gang culture, or drug and alcohol abuse. A lack of a safe place to socialise outside of school, combined with peer pressure and social breakdown means that boys and girls often face uncertain futures.

The programme is training coaches to lead each team, not just in football but also to provide life choices support and advice.  The captains and vice-captains of each team also receive leadership training at the community centre so that they can provide essential peer support and become positive role models.

Francisco Naude, the programme director, and two other coaches, Victor Daweti and Ricardo Kermis arrived in Glasgow on Wednesday the 9th September.  They will be staying for 12 days, during which time they will be sharing ideas and best practice with similar programmes in Scotland and strengthening links with their supporters.

During the visit the coaches will:-

• Take part in Community Football coaching programmes around Glasgow that address issues such as obesity and social exclusion.
• Visit Castle Huntly Open Estate to thank inmates for their support and lead a coaching session.
• Attend coaching courses run by Celtic football club.
• Lead coaching sessions with children from Glasgow primary schools at the new Toryglen Sports Centre.
• Meet with supporters and potential donors to discuss progress.
• With the world cup fast approaching Francisco and his team are keen to ensure that disadvantaged children living in South Africa gain as much advantage from the tournament as possible. 

If you would like to support the programme please get in touch by writing to info@wer-uk.org.