Hearts make presence felt in school

HEARTS will have an officially sanctioned presence in every Edinburgh primary school once a new community scheme is fully under way. Launched yesterday at St David's and Pirniehall primaries in Pilton, the Heart of Midlothian Education and Community Trust has the backing of the city council, the police and Heriot-Watt University, among other agencies, and is designed to teach children the virtues of healthy, responsible lifestyles.

One programme, for pupils in primaries five to seven, will be delivered primarily by class teachers, but will be supplemented by Hearts representatives and will culminate in a visit to Tynecastle Stadium. Another, for P3-5, will focus on the positive role of sport and a proper diet, and will include a visit to the club's football academy at Riccarton.

Speaking at the launch, Steven Pressley, the Hearts captain, emphasised to the children present that "it doesn't matter what team you support", and that the scheme was for everyone. It will clearly do the club no harm, however, to be an integral part of such a sizeable scheme - one which Hearts' operations director Campbell Ogilvie hailed as "one of the most exciting projects Hearts has ever embarked upon".

Ogilvie, who will chair the trust, said he thought the chance to learn through involvement with football was one which many children would happily embrace. "We're committed to this long-term project with our colleagues at City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian and Borders Police, the Health Education Board Scotland and our partner sponsors," Ogilvie continued. "[It] will lead to an exciting programme of activities across Edinburgh offering children in the capital an inspiring opportunity to learn through a sporting context."

Six trustees will join Ogilvie on the board of the organisation: David Southern, Hearts' marketing and communications director, Ali Russell, the club's commercial director, Mike Fitchett, the director of the Centre for Sport and Exercise at Heriot-Watt, Roy Jobson, the director of the council's Children and Families department, David Henderson, a businessman and lifelong Hearts supporter, and Gary Mackay, the former player who holds the record number of appearances for the club and is now a football agent.

"I strongly believe that football clubs have a social responsibility, because young people look up to their heroes," Mackay said. "The trust offers the opportunity for Hearts to give something to our city, and this is something I am very proud of."

In a previous post as chief education officer for the City of Manchester Council, Jobson worked with Manchester City on a similar scheme to the new trust. But, while such ventures also exist here and there throughout the continent, they are a novelty in Scotland.

Far from expecting to earn money immediately from the scheme, Hearts will have to supply funds and expertise to it. In the longer term, however, they will surely benefit from working so closely with such a large number of children across the city. In that respect, while it is a registered charity, the trust can be expected to play a discreet supporting role in the club's branding of itself as "the Heart and soul of Edinburgh".

Taken from the Scotsman