Young footballers spread their wings

A football team for girls in the News Scot community is helping young people to get fit and make friends.

The Swans FC was originally based in Kilwinning and was started to help a group of girls work towards Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

The football team, made up of mainly Afghan and Syrian girls aged from nine upwards, now meets at The Circuit in Irvine and coaches from North Ayrshire Council put them through their paces on the 3G pitches.

Lucy Russell, New Scots Locality Link Worker with the council’s Connected Communities service, originally established the team around three years ago.

She explained: “Initially, some high school girls said they wanted to learn to play football. They were working towards a Duke of Edinburgh Award and needed a sporting activity as part of this.

“We recently moved from Kilwinning to Irvine, with a group that involves some younger girls, and it is going really well.

“They come together in a safe and relaxed space and learn new skills, improve their communication and teamwork abilities – and naturally improve their English.

“Many of them will have faced some tough life challenges after being displaced from their home country, so it is fantastic to see them gaining confidence and getting fit with friends as they enjoy life here in North Ayrshire.”

New Scots is a term that describes people who have come to Scotland to live, including refugees and people seeking asylum.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) became part of Scots law in summer 2024, highlighting that everyone has an ongoing responsibility to protect the rights of our children.

The Council follows and respects the UNCRC to ensure that all children’s rights are respected and that they are free to learn, play and develop.

Article 22 of the Convention states that “if a child is seeking refuge or has refugee status” then governments must “help them enjoy all the rights of the Convention.”

Councillor Hill added: “This football team is a fine example of young people’s rights being respected.”