community projects
The Celtic against Drugs programme supported by the Scottish Executive and Glasgow City Council Education Services is community-based with the aim of providing drug awareness/education to Primary 5 aged children and their parents/carers while promoting positive, healthy alternatives to drugs misuse and antisocial behaviour.
The objectives and approach fit with the national strategic directive; “providing opportunities for young people to become involved in structured and positive activities with a particular focus on drug awareness/education, healthy lifestyles and community development”. The programme will focus on anti-drugs messages/seminars and also look to enhance individual wellbeing, foster community spirit and promote equality of opportunity and social inclusion.
The programme has 4 main components;
School Curricular Coaching
60 Primary and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Schools will receive 10 weeks of curricular based football coaching in their school delivered by a Celtic Community/Academy coach. Throughout this period the participants will receive information on key social issues such as diet & nutrition, smoking, alcohol, drug misuse, territorialism/racism/sectarianism along with raising their levels of physical activity through football.
At the end of the 10 week coaching/educational block, each participating school will take part in an event named “A Day with Celtic”. During this event the pupils will take part in a morning of football coaching followed by a visit to Celtic Park where they will take part in a Stadium Tour, Healthy Lifestyle Quiz and Poster Task.
Football Centres
All of the participants of the School Curricular Coaching Programme will be given the opportunity to take part in a Celtic in the Community coaching course in close proximity to their school and home. This will increase levels of physical activity, reduce incidences such as crime and vandalism, develop key social skills and provide a safe environment for the pupils to learn.
Holiday Programme
Easter, Summer, October and Christmas holiday programmes will be devised and delivered to provide a continued pathway to participation for the pupils in the School Curricular Coaching Programme. The coaches will also use this opportunity to further reinforce all of the aforementioned key social issues.
Parent/Guardian Evening
The importance of engaging with the parent/guardian group was deemed to be a crucial component to the success of the programme and this was addressed by the means of an end of block informative talk at Celtic Park to reinforce the positive messages delivered to the participants throughout the programme and to re-educate the parent/guardian group on the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.
Some positive statistics achieved from the Celtic Against Programme in 2006-07 include;
- 89% of teachers thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing the participant’s awareness of drugs.
- 78% of teachers thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing the participant’s awareness of diet & nutrition.
- 89% of teachers thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing the participant’s awareness of exercise.
- 100% of teachers thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing the participant’s awareness of team work.
- 67% of teachers thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing the participant’s awareness of racism/sectarianism/territorialism.
- 89% of teachers thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing the participant’s awareness of opportunities for continued activity.
- 100% of pupils thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing their awareness of drugs.
- 100% of pupils thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing their awareness of diet & nutrition.
- 100% of pupils thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing their awareness of exercise.
- 100% of pupils thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing their awareness of team work.
- 88% of pupils thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing their awareness of racism/sectarianism/territorialism.
- 88% of pupils thought that the programme was either good or excellent in increasing their awareness of opportunities for con
The Old Firm Alliance is a collaborative programme involving Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs, Glasgow Community Planning Partnership, The Scottish Executive, Communities Scotland, Glasgow City Council Education Services and Sense over Sectarianism.
The programme has 4 main components:
School Curricular Coaching
This year, 108 Primary and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Schools will receive 10 weeks of curricular based football coaching in their school delivered by a Celtic and Rangers Community/Academy coach. Throughout this period the participants will receive information on key social issues such as diet & nutrition, smoking, alcohol, drug misuse, territorialism/racism/sectarianism along with raising their levels of physical activity through football.
At the end of the 10 week coaching/educational block, each participating school will receive an “incentive” for completing the programme. The incentives include; match tickets to a home SPL match at Celtic Park or Ibrox Stadium, Stadium tours of Celtic Park or Ibrox Stadium or a full day football festival delivered by Celtic and Rangers Community/Academy coaches.
Football Centres
Every participating pupil of the School Curricular Coaching Programme will be given the opportunity to attend a FREE after school Football Centre in close proximity to their homes. These centres allow the pupils to enhance their football skills, social skills and levels of fitness along with allowing the coaches to further reinforce the positive messages delivered throughout the day in the school coaching.
Holiday Programme
Easter, Summer, October and Christmas holiday programmes will be devised and delivered to provide a continued pathway to participation for the pupils in the School Curricular Coaching Programme. The coaches will also use this opportunity to further reinforce all of the aforementioned key social issues.
216 pupils will be given a wonderful opportunity to take part in a 3 day Old Firm Alliance residential camp where they will live the life of a footballer and continue learning about the importance of being tolerant of others different to them and leading a healthy lifestyle.
Parent/Guardian Evening
The importance of engaging with the parent/guardian group was deemed to be a crucial component to the success of the programme and this was addressed by the means of an end of block informative talk at Celtic Park/Ibrox Stadium to reinforce the positive messages delivered to the participants throughout the programme and to re-educate the parent/guardian group on the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.
Some positive statistics achieved from the Old Firm Alliance Programme in 2006-07 include;
- 91% of teachers thought that the programme was either good or excellent at raising the participant’s awareness of exercise
- 82% of teachers thought that the programme was either good or excellent at raising the participant’s awareness of racism/sectarianism/territorialism
- 82% of teachers thought that the programme was either good or excellent at influencing and instigating change in lifestyle habits of the participants
- 91% of teachers thought that the overall programme was either good or excellent
- 100% of pupils thought that the programme was either good or excellent at raising their awareness of exercise
- 100% of pupils thought that the programme was either good or excellent at raising their awareness of racism/sectarianism/territorialism
- 100% of pupils thought that the programme was either good or excellent at raising their awareness of sporting opportunities
- 100% of pupils thought that the overall programme was either good or excellent
The “Support Employment” Project is a partnership involving Celtic Football Club, the Scottish Executive, Job Centre Plus, Careers Scotland, Glasgow Coalition and Rangers Football Clubs. The aim of the project is to contribute to a Glasgow where the “Long Term Unemployed” have an opportunity to develop their skills through a personal training programme using football as a vehicle to motivate and equip those attending with the skills necessary to make them employable.
Celtic Football Club is delighted to assist with the practical component of this excellent project. The above partners involved in the delivery of the project recognise the importance football can have and its capacity for developing and contributing to the interpersonal skills of those attending. Football is a team game that requires self-discipline, respect, co-operation and above all teamwork.
These skills, when running in parallel with the training programme, can assist adults to make positive life decisions and changes, be assertive and be proud of who they are.
The project also provides a unique opportunity for those involved to; work together develop their skills, learn more about sport, how it can influence their lives and contribute to their health and well being. Participants will also work towards achieving vocational qualifications (SFA Certificates) via the training programme. These vocational qualifications are nationally recognised and are pre-requisites when working with young children and youth players. The Coaching Courses will enhance the existing knowledge of those attending and also assist with the following;
- Improving planning skills.
- Improving communication skills.
- Improving organisational skills.
- Improving knowledge and understanding of working with children and youth players.
This innovative initiative provides a healthy, exciting and stimulating experience for those attending. The project will also improve self-esteem and confidence, develop team building skills and enhance their job opportunities.
On completion of the SFA Certificates participants may have the opportunity to assist with Celtic in the Community Initiatives as a Celtic Community Coach.
Using football as the vehicle to help unemployed people back in to work,
the aims and objectives are to assist trainees on the 10 week course to become job ready with the skills and abilities necessary to secure suitable sustainable employment using football to help develop existing soft skills and competencies with new ones being introduced throughout the course.
When they come into Celtic Park there are learning work shops they will attend with representatives from various work places who will be able to give them an idea of possible career path ways.
We even have presentations from all other departments here at Celtic, and again this may give them a possible avenue for employment.
When they participate in the football strand of the project we treat the participants as both players and prospective coaches. They are then challenged in football as individuals and as a team learning to problem solve collectively and individually.
The participants are also given information on diet and nutrition and encouraged to live a healthy life style. As part of the coaching programme we give them tuition on how to be a community coach, and towards the end of the course give them the opportunity to demonstrate the coaching skills they have learned during the course.
While the participants deliver part of a session they are assessed and given feed back on how they have done. This part of the programme helps to raise their self esteem and challenges their organisational skills.
The Scottish Executive, Glasgow Coalition, Job Centre Plus and Careers Scotland see this as being one of the main benefits for participants to take with them in to the work place. Michael Lynch of Careers Scotland states, “I am delighted to be working with Celtic FC on this project and you only have to look at the statistics to see that it has been a huge success, with Celtic having already delivered the programme to over 100 participating adults and out of that number, 90% have either secured new employment or are on training for work courses that will lead them to full time employment at the end of it. We envisage that the same success rate to continue”.
Along with us being able to provide Community Coach job opportunities through the project, Celtic has now employed 12 participants.
One of the most pleasing and satisfying aspect to this project is the positive difference Celtic in the Community is able to make in these peoples lives, whether they find employment with us here at Celtic in a coaching capacity or in some other part of the business. All the participants leave here with a clear objective of where they want to go with their career prospects.
| 
