A north-east rugby club is hoping to create a “safe zone” for children this week.
Aberdeenshire RFC is hosting a free Easter camp at its grounds, which is in one of Aberdeen’s most deprived areas – Woodside.
Around 120 kids from primary one to primary seven have signed up to the free Easter camp at Woodside Sports Complex, which runs from today until Wednesday.
Training sessions to form teams will then will begin in two weeks.
The club has not had a youth section for about 12 years, and youth development officer Paul Harrow is excited to see moves to change that – while supporting the local community.
The 31-year-old said he was looking forward to giving back to the team that helped him so much as a kid.
“I’ve been at the club for 21 years now I started playing myself when I was nine,” he said.
“When I was younger, the club helped me out a lot in my life so I’m hoping I can do the same for some of the kids in the area.
“It was my safe place, my safe zone just come down here and forget about the other troubles in life.”
Offering a safe place to ‘feel part of a team’
Leaving behind a background as a welder in oil and gas, six months ago Mr Harrow “took the jump” to become the youth development officer.
The Tillydrone resident has since introduced rugby to around 700 children through visiting schools such as St Machar Academy and Northfield Academy.
However, the first team and club captain at Aberdeenshire RFC said he was looking forward to offering training in a few weeks.
“For the community there’s not much in the area to do,” he said.
“Here is a perfect place for them to come. It’s a safe zone, it’s a safe area to come down and play a bit of rugby.
“It doesn’t matter your shape or size where you’re from or your background especially at this club, they just let everybody have a game.
“That was true when I was younger as well, maybe I was one of the outcast kids and I came down here and I got to feel like part of a team.
“For the club it’s important because we need youth coming through to then to play for the adult session which we’ve struggled with over the last couple of years.”
Adamant no barriers for kids to attend the camp
At the end of the year, the club hope to have three teams in the youth section with the camp being the first “big milestone” to achieving this.
As the club situated in “one of the most deprived areas of Aberdeen“, Mr Harrow said he and head of youth, Jamie Stephen, were “adamant” the camp should be free for all.
Kids attending will receive breakfast and lunch and a free rugby ball and personalised water bottle at the end funded by the club and other sponsors.
It will also include a nutrition quiz to help teach them about healthy eating and lifestyle choices.
Mr Harrow said: “A lot of kids maybe don’t know about nutrition and it’s quite important for rugby for your body to have fuel, good fuel.
“Rugby uses different muscles and your body needs that fuel to keep going.
“The healthier you eat the happier you are and the more rugby you can play.”
Conversation