Festive Friends
For some Christmas is the most magical time of the year. Unfortunately, for some, it can also be a time of loneliness, particularly for older people.
Working with the SPFL Trust, at Christmas the Foundation delivers special food hampers to older members in our community who may be lonely, or just not feeling great, to help bring about some seasonal cheer to their lives.
This past year (2023) the Foundation had a special treat for our Festive Friends, hosting a communal winter warmer meal at Lesser Hampden which had intergenerational elements and was a fun, and uplifting experience for all involved.
Festive Friend participant “K” expressed real gratitude attending our event saying, “I can’t believe you have done all of this for us” on receiving her gift from the Foundation after the meal, she continued,
“I don’t get out much at all. I was nervous about coming and this is the only event I’ll have been to over the festivities. I’ve really enjoyed myself and meeting new people. I loved spending time with the children and the meal was excellent, thank you for inviting me”
Stay tuned to see what we have in store for 2024’s Festive Friends!
If you would like to join us this year as an invitee or in a voluntary capacity to help build and deliver hampers and attend our community meal, please do get in touch at: foundation.programmes@queensparkfc.co.uk
First Kicks
Queen’s Park FC Foundation’s support those most often marginalised and minoritised from football to attend our Community Match-day experiences by providing free access to events and Queen’s Park FC Men’s games, helping people feel safe and able to attend a match together while connecting to our shared football history and heritage with a visit to the Museum too. We strongly believe that “Football is for all!” so have created activities for people to join us at games in a supportive environment where our team sit amongst participants to help them get to know and understand the game, while we get to know and understand our participants. Football has the power to really bring communities together.
We are working towards an expansion of this programme which includes a warm space and hot meal after winter matches, fostering a thriving, intergenerational safe space. Community members can access discrete, dignified support and participate in rich activities, making each match day enjoyable and supportive for all.
Queen’s Park FC Foundation is committed to tackling poverty, and this project helps address various forms of deprivation, including social isolation, food insecurity, cultural destitution, and community disconnectedness.
If you have a Community Group interested in joining us who otherwise may not have the confidence or means to without our support, please get in touch at:
foundation.programmes@queensparkfc.co.uk
Football - More Than a Game
At the Queen’s Park FC Foundation we take great pride in celebrating the history of football with others.
Through collaboration with The University of Edinburgh Academy of Sport, and a glittering range of leading experts, researchers and lecturers, the Foundation has provided a 6-week course about the wider social role football plays within communities and society more broadly.
Working with individuals from traditionally marginalised backgrounds, the course provides learners with a deeper understanding of core concepts such as: the role of sport in achieving UN global development goals, the rich heritage and pivotal of Queen’s Park in the establishment of football in Scotland and beyond, the impact of football upon Scotland’s economy, healthcare, social development, and future planning. Participants have gone on to apply their learning directly by getting involved in a variety of Queen’s Park FC Foundation’s community programmes.
“Explore the world of football, the money, the rivalries, the trends, the past, the present, the men’s game, the women’s game and the real issues. Whether you love it, hate it or try to ignore it – join us as we go behind the scenes to examine why football is more than just a game.
From street soccer to multi-million dollar transfers, from the men’s game to the women’s, from the global to the local, from the beaches of Brazil to the fight against poverty this online course looks beyond the pitch, to explore football’s role in society and possibly a community near you”
Topics covered:
Introduction to early history, origins and myths about football
Golden football moments
The rise of global football, FIFA and the Big 5 Football Leagues
Introduction to football finance and wealth
Great football clubs, nations, rivalries and matches that changed the world
Introduction to football data, trends and what it tells us
Who are the world champions and what makes them champions?
The rise, popularity and myths about women’s football
Tackling inequality, homelessness and health through football
Introduction to football governance, ownership and power
What makes a great football team?
Is football more than a game?
Meet a football legend and their views on Brazil and the greatest footballer they played against
This course will be delivered by Professor Grant Jarvie (Edinburgh University) in collaboration with the Queen’s Park FC Foundation and industry experts.
Successful completion the course will earn you a Career Certificate from the University of Edinburgh.
If you would like to know more about us or any of our programmes please drop us an email at foundation.programmes@queensparkfc.co.uk
Football Memories
Queen’s Park FC Foundation has been proud to work with Glasgow’s Golden Generation for a number of years and excitedly, are working on the development of new programmes aimed at those aged 55+.
At the David Cargill Day Care Centre, we have run our Football Memories programme in which participants can find common ground in football-related activities such as group quizzes and debates. Discussions often lead to conversations about other topics such as music, movies, and nightlife with football becoming a foundation in which participants could share new interests and passions, while having a good time reminiscing in the process.
A natural progression of this developed into our “Play On” programme. ‘Play On’ introduces age-appropriate physical activities with a focus on nurturing both physical and mental well-being. Participants engage in a diverse range of interactive games and activities, benefiting from key themes: physical and mental health & well-being.
We look forward to our next steps, as we look to craft an intergenerational project with our elderly community, connecting to our educational programmes at the Foundation.
If you are interested in collaborative work with the Foundation, please get in touch with us to express your interest and share your ideas at:
foundation.programmes@queensparkfc.co.uk
In The Mixer - One Pot Cooking Class
With well over 60 foodbanks, pantries and community food support initiatives across Glasgow, Queen’s Park FC Foundation understands that there is a need in our community to help local families get the most out of the food that they can access to balance cooking on a low budget for the whole family, while ensuring nutritional value is maximised!
Starting our pilot in Aug 2024 across 6 weeks, families have been cooking along with our community chef, healthy, culturally and religiously inclusive and nutritious meals while skills and confidence building in the kitchen, learning about food safety and hygiene too.
We know that good food contributes to overall health and happiness, and it is our mission to help local families foster this with our support, teaching the cooking skills required and the nutritional knowledge for families to sustain this for themselves and for future generations to come, as we work and learn together week to week, enjoying the free meal we cook together too as one big family! It has been great to bring people together to make friends too.
We have had such a positive response to our classes so far, with one participant saying:
“Thank you so much. It was so great to access something as a family. My 7-year-old ate all her vegetables! Delighted! Thank you”
Is this something that you feel you and your family could benefit from, or do you know a family who would like our support to learn? Get in touch today to enquire at:
foundation.programmes@queensparkfc.co.uk
Community Volunteers
Queen’s Park FC Foundation are actively recruiting Volunteers to help deliver our wide range of Community Development Programmes available to view on our Community tab at the top of this page.
Believing in the innate power of individuals to take control over their own lives and be the change that they want to see in the world, our Community Development Team is ever evolving with the local community, listening to and getting to know and understand community needs and issues to allow us to engage with communities in meaningful ways for collective action, and to help build our social capital and capacity to deliver in these areas that matter most to people.
Are you passionate about working towards a society that values- Social justice and equality, anti-discrimination, community organising and taking collective action, community empowerment, working and learning together and inclusivity and diversity?
Sign up to register your interest to Volunteer with us today- https://forms.office.com/e/FLSDrnneVa
Volunteering with us has many other benefits:
• Increased Confidence
• Training and gaining qualifications
• Accredited Volunteering hours (Saltire Awards 12yrs-25yrs)
• Developing Transferable Skills
• Making a difference to the lives of others
• Being part of your local community
• Having fun!
If you would like to share ideas or are looking for more information before signing up please contact us to get started at:
foundation.programmes@queensparkfc.co.uk