FREE Friday night football sessions are set to return for young people in Helensburgh during the school summer holidays.
A report has said that the sessions are lined up for three Friday evenings in July from 7pm to 9pm, providing a safe space for youngsters to attend.
Community learning services from liveArgyll have also given an update on its work with young people across Helensburgh and Lomond, including the launch of a garden project at Parklands School.
The details feature in a report to go before Argyll and Bute Council’s Helensburgh and Lomond community planning group at its meeting on Tuesday, May 12.
A spokesperson said: “This summer will see the return of free Friday night football to Helensburgh and Lomond. This will provide a free, safe space for young people to come along and enjoy being active.
“It will run in July on the following Friday nights: 3, 10 and 17, from 7-9 pm. It will be open to anyone aged between 11 and 17.
“There will be a registration for this programme for health and safety that will be done through Eventbrite but will be free to all that attend.
“We are about to start a new gardening project in partnership with Hermitage Academy and Parklands. We will have a group of pupils from the academy attend Parklands for a couple of hours a week to help maintain the sensory garden within the school grounds.
“This project will start in the next week or two and will be looking for some gardening equipment to be donated as we are yet to find any funding for this.”
The report added: “[Helensburgh and Lomond Youth Action Council] will be running fundraising events for young people and families to attend for the purpose of raising funds to help create free youth provisions in the area.
“The first of these events will be held on May 29 and will be a family quiz night. The second will be a youth open mic night and will be held on June 29, both events will be held at Helensburgh Community Hub.
“The youth council are also looking to start discussions around this summer’s GIVE programme; a small survey will be created soon and sent to all new S1 pupils.
“Our S6 Leadership Academy [at Hermitage Academy] has now finished with an increase in pupils gaining a Qualifications Scotland Level 6 award.
“This is also same for our health and wellbeing gym group as they have now completed their Level 5 Qualifications Scotland award.
“Our outdoor employability project (pilot) is now halfway through the course and has some positive feedback so far. This project has been able to get young people outside of the classroom to help develop invaluable life skills, employability skills and soft skills.
“We have also had positive engagement with the non-school attenders within this group by managing to get them back into the school premises during school hours.”
