SUMMER may be fast fading from view in our collective rear-view mirror – but there are still plenty of happy memories for active young people from Helensburgh and Lomond to look back on.

Nearly 300 session spaces were attended across the area in a series of sport and physical activity camps organised by Live Argyll’s Active Schools and sports development team.

Activities took place during a busy six-week period, including multi sport and football camps, with the team also providing support and guidance during activity weeks coordinated by Argyll and Bute’s education department.

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As well as providing a positive experience in a variety of sport and physical activity and team building sessions, the programme gave local young people a chance to meet lots of other people and establish new friendships.

Robust Covid protocols and risk assessments were utilised and helped ensure the camps were run safely while allowing maximum fun for the young people who were involved.

Thankfully all of the activity weeks ran without any disruption due to Covid and all the young people played their part in making the camps a great success.

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Active Schools work closely with PE staff at Hermitage Academy to support their Sport Leaders programme, and this year a number of the current leaders volunteered with Active Schools activities to gain more experience running sessions with young people.

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Martin Caldwell, Live Argyll’s Active Schools coordinator for Helensburgh and Lomond, explained: “We have 28 senior pupils on the Sports Leader programme this year at Hermitage Academy which is fantastic.

“Active Schools supports the leaders with placements in the local primary schools to run extra-curricular clubs and also offer placement experience during the holiday camps.

“Hermitage Academy and Active Schools invest a lot of time working with the Sports Leaders to help them reach their potential. Many of them will become the future generation of coaches and volunteers in local community clubs, which will benefit our young people in sport.”

And with the October school break now less than a month away, dates and activities for the autumn holiday, along with those for the Easter and summer holidays in 2022, are currently being finalised by the Active Schools and sports development team.

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Close links are also being established with local community sports clubs and schools, with a number of club coaches already volunteering their time and expertise to help set up extra-curricular sport and physical activity clubs in Helensburgh and Lomond to promote active and healthy lifestyles.

Active Schools is also looking to engage with more sport and physical activity volunteers in Helensburgh and the wider area once the extra-curricular programme is up and running, so if anyone is interested and would like more detail and a chat about getting involved, please get in touch with Active Schools via Robbie Kelly at Robbie.Kelly@liveargyll.co.uk or Martin Caldwell at Martin.Caldwell@liveargyll.co.uk.