Hansard

I am pleased to speak in this important members’ business debate that Margaret Mitchell has brought to the chamber, especially as I am a Motherwell girl who is not often in Hamilton football park. I am not a football fan at all, so I do not go very often; I am much more of a rugby fan. Nonetheless, I am aware of the wonderful work that football clubs throughout Scotland do in our communities and the help that they provide.

I have met two Hamilton Academical players—Michael Devlin and Gramoz Kurtaj—at Parksprings care home in Motherwell. The care home has fêtes twice a year and it is a great pleasure to go along and help with the tombola. I have been delighted to meet the young men from Hamilton supporting that activity in the community and being there for people.

I have heard from my colleague Christina McKelvie about the wonderful work of the Hamilton women’s football team. I am sure that she would have wanted to speak in the debate, but she had a previous engagement this evening and had to be elsewhere. She speaks highly of the work that the club does.

Football provides a unique way of engaging with people. I know from the dementia cafe that runs at Motherwell Football Club that links to football clubs—the loyalty and feeling that are involved—are important. That makes it much easier for people to engage in some of the most difficult challenges that they face.

In looking through Hamilton’s website, I noticed its commitment to supporting addiction programmes—particularly the Blameless charity, which helps children and families who are affected by addiction. That charity does as much as it can to alleviate such problems in the community.

Another venture that is happening across Scotland, which has gladly been taken on by Hamilton, involves the charity Soldiers off the Street Scotland, which helps those who have served their country and subsequently returned to have a place in society. The charity helps them through some of the many problems that they have.