Active Schools Virtual Awards: Club of the Year

City of Edinburgh Volleyball Club (COEVC)

The partnership between Active Schools and COEVC is unique and powerful and results are clear to see. Club coaches deliver at events, camps and tasters. They also offer after school sessions in the primaries for P1-3 where Baby Volleyball provides a fun introduction and foundation to the sport. The same applies for P4-7 pupils. Additionally, there is a club session allowing participants to extend their experience in the sport and become involved in the competitive pathway if desired. In return for curricular delivery and to support this competitive pathway Active Schools host junior competitions allowing children to compete in their own community as well as reducing cost to families. The club strives to create a family culture by catering for all ages from Baby Volleyball to adult social training, profiling junior and senior matches so that families and younger players can attend and observe the next stage of their pathway

Murrayfield Wanderers Rugby

The club have organised, and staffed, free cluster and inter-cluster festivals and events including organising and self-funding Murrayfield Rugby Stadium Tours. They have engaged with P7 classes in order to offer the School of Rugby, whereby pupils with low attainment and attendance and on the cusp of disengaging with education are recruited to take part in their curricular programme. The club additionally deliver at an all-day annual transition festival and provide free tasters during school health weeks. All sessions are fun and engaging and have given the Primary School clubs the opportunity to play against each other in an informal basis. The High School clubs take part in city wide fixtures and leagues to increase the competitive element. The club’s communication is always clear and consistent, and the pupils have a very strong and positive connection with the players and club.

Spartans

Spartans provide real inspiration to local children who respect and respond positively to club coaches. Coaches strive to use this influence in a constructive and meaningful way providing positive role models for pupils that may not have these in their lives. Coaches are fair, inclusive and encouraging of all abilities.

Spartan’s Connexions (para football) are an invaluable resource to the special school cluster and are the only community football club to have championed para football in Edinburgh. This began 4 years ago with delivery of Pilrig Park’s afterschool football club and this has now developed to them having significant involvement with Rowanfield, Woodlands and Kaimes schools. Within these schools, Spartans use their sessions to develop football skills and increase levels of exercise, promote team work and form a pathway to the Connexions football sessions; 12 players have made the successful transition from school sessions to the Connexions club.