The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Football club pitches in for community
The pandemic was a dark time for football clubs across Scotland. Without fans turning up every other Saturday, club coffers almost ran dry up and down the leagues.
And Peterhead FC was not exempt from this.
It got so dire for the Blue Toon that 29 part-time staff were let go in October 2020, only to be saved once the furlough scheme was extended.
But Peterhead managed to weather the storm, thanks to its loyal supporters, who did everything they could to keep their local team alive.
With the community giving so much to the club, bosses felt they had to return the favour.
And that’s where the idea for the Peterhead FC Community Foundation came from, chairman Gavin Mundie tells me...
I visited Gavin at the ever-blustery Balmoor Stadium and heard from him first-hand about the foundation, including:
Plans to roll out dementia groups to help older fans reminisce about the club’s past
The two first-team stars who have become role models for children in an effort to reduce bad behaviour and expulsions
And which club figure has gone back into the kitchen after bosses learned kids relying on free school meals were going hungry at the weekends
Gavin and I chatted as we walked around the pristine pitch as groundsman Stan Stephen marked out the touchlines.
And as the club gets a new year of football under way, Gavin looked back on how the foundation came about 12 months ago.
“Covid obviously impacted the club significantly but the community rallied round us and supported the club through the pandemic,” the 55-year-old said.
“When we came through Covid, we sat down as a club and said, ‘is there something more that we can do for the community?’ ”
The club already had a few initiatives, with their summer coaching camps and a “festive friends” campaign.
This Christmas scheme helps lonely elderly people in Peterhead, with the club handing out 126 hampers and hosting a Christmas Day lunch for those in need.
But Gavin says a foundation would help spread this same spirit across the year.
Being a Peterhead bornand-bred loon myself, I have done my fair share of helping out my local team.
From selling programmes and operating the turnstiles, to commentating on the games during the pandemic, the club has played a large part in my life.
And Gavin is no different...
Despite being a busy oil and gas worker, he has still found time to help his local team.
“I’ve had many roles within the club over the years, starting as a ball-boy, that’s how they rope you in!” he laughed.
“I was then invited to be one of the original trustees.”
Exactly one year on from its formation, the foundation has aimed to help every corner of the north-east community.
“There are three main elements of what we strive to achieve. Health and wellbeing and inclusion, football development, and education and employability,” Gavin said.
“For inclusion we do things such as ‘festive friends’, ‘boogie in the bar’, and we are also looking to start up a dementia support group.
“We have also started up a women’s wellness support group tackling menopause.
“We do a lot of work in areas that you wouldn’t traditionally associate with a football club.
“We want people’s perception to be that we are open to every element of the community, and wherever that need is in our community, that filters into our strategy.”
And their perception does seem to have changed, especially with the club chairman stepping into the kitchen...
One of the foundation’s most successful initiatives has been its Sunday brunches.
Once a month, anyone who needs it can head to Balmoor on a Sunday and get a cooked meal.
And with his background as a chef, club chairman Rodger Morrison donned his toque (a chef hat to you and me) and got into the kitchen to help the community.
Gavin said the Sunday brunches came about through community feedback.
“There was a lot of feedback that there are a lot of kids relying on school meals through the week but when it came to a weekend, they had nowhere to get a meal,” the 55-yearold added.
“So, thanks to the football club and chairman Rodger Morrison’s background as a chef, he organised the first Sunday brunch, and we’ve had three or four now.
“From when we first started, a community kitchen was never on our agenda, but it became quite apparent that it was needed within the community.”
The foundation has benefited all ages in the Blue Toon.
First-team star Danny Strachan has been working in close partnership with Buchanhaven Primary School, and will soon be joined by one of his teammates, Arran Smith.
The collaboration originally started off as just fitness coaching, but has now led to Danny becoming a role-model figure for the kids.
“We originally went in with basic sports coaching, but that has now developed into health and nutrition, along with wellbeing in terms of building their confidence,” Gavin said.
“We are also working with the school to reduce troublesome behaviour and expulsions.”
And the figures show that this partnership has helped out Buchanhaven pupils hugely.
A massive 90% of pupils
involved have seen their attendance increase, or stay the same, with those staying the same having almost perfect or perfect attendance beforehand.
The Peterhead FC foundation’s efforts at Balmoor can be seen just across the car park.
Danny and Arran are hosting one of the summer football coaching camps, giving local children the chance to train with the players they look up to on a Saturday afternoon.
And I managed to catch the pair of first-team stars as they wrapped up their session to hear from them about how the players can help children across the north-east.
“I think it’s a massive positive that we can give back to the community,” Danny said.
“I’ve really enjoyed my role at Buchanhaven, working with the kids, getting to know them every day and teaching them some of the stuff I might know.
“Even the relationship side of it, being there to support them through their studies and things outwith football and school they need support with.”
Arran will join the foundation’s team at the school in a few weeks and he is “really looking forward” to the new role.
“Getting to know all the kids at the camps, I think it will help me going into my role at the school,” the winger adds.
Finally Gavin emphasised that all the great work the foundation has done in its first 12 months is down to its team of dedicated volunteers.
“People are able to make a personal impact in the community through us,” he said.
“Although we are making good inroads in what we are doing, it’s all down to the volunteers.”
Reflecting on this, it really is amazing how one local football club can, in the space of one year, have such a large positive effect on its community with just a dedicated team of volunteers.
And with the League 2 season now under way, I can only hope that the Blue Toon can be as successful on the pitch as its foundation has been off of it.
Peterhead FC Community Foundation are always looking for new volunteers. For those interested, you can contact Gavin at Info@ pfccf.co.uk