Hansard

The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-15790, in the name of Margaret Mitchell, on Hamilton Accies exemplary community work. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament congratulates Hamilton Academical (Accies) on what it sees as its success as a football club since being founded in 1874 and its innovative and thriving community ethos; recognises that, in conjunction with Skills Development Scotland, the club’s youth academy runs a modern educational apprenticeship programme; understands that the apprentices all play regularly in the under-20 team and gain valuable social skills and experience through coaching children; notes that, as part of its community outreach programme, the club houses the Hamilton and District Men’s Shed, which aims to encourage older men to remain physically and mentally active and promotes active citizenship; supports the Accies’ additional support needs (ASN) community, which offers weekly parent/carer autism support groups, helps children and families through ASN-exclusive events and activities and recently launched an inclusive football team for four to 17-year-olds; understands that, for the last eight years, the club has delivered the programme, Training for Freedom, which supports prisoners who are in the process of being released by helping them to become responsible and accountable citizens, with the aims of increasing self-esteem and identifying and making use of previously unrecognised skills; notes that Soldiers Off the Street Scotland, which helps ex-service personnel who are homeless, is also supported by the club; welcomes what it sees as the club’s support for kinship carers, people who it believes are often forgotten; notes that the club has set up the charity, Blameless, which aims both to provide hope for children and families affected by alcoholism and addiction and facilitates 12-step recovery support groups; considers that this model of exemplary community work to help vulnerable people and families is an excellent example of preventative spend that could be replicated by other clubs, and wishes the club, its players and apprentices every success.