Young girls get back playing football at Ayrshire College
The Rose Reilly Football Centre is back underway at Ayrshire College's Kilmarnock Campus, delivered in partnership between the College, East Ayrshire Active Schools and Vibrant Communities.
The free football sessions for young girls from across Ayrshire will run every Wednesday between 4pm and 5pm, with the help of female students on Sport & Fitness courses at Ayrshire College - who are volunteering as coaches.
Stewarton's Rose Reilly MBE, who represented both Scotland and Italy at international level, said: "This has been emotional for me. I never got this chance when I started playing football - not that it held me back, mind you - so I'm honoured that the football centre is named after me. I hope it gives the wee girls the encouragement that if they want to do something in life, not even just football, that they can go for it and not take no for an answer.
Depute Provost Claire Leitch was in attendance for the re-start of the football sessions and she said: "It's absolutely fantastic that the Football Centre is back up and running, and that it's named after Rose Reilly who has done so much great work for the sport of football. These sessions help pass really positive messages to our young people, such as building friendships and working together."
Cherryl Fulton, East Ayrshire Active Schools Co-ordinator, said: "I am delighted to see the girls back and getting to do what they love, play football, meet friends and have fun!
"The partnership with Active Schools, Vibrant Communities and Ayrshire College has grown from strength to strength and led to some fantastic opportunities for our young people. The College is an amazing facility for these young girls to experience some professional coaching from Ayrshire College students both past and present, who are excellent role models to these young girls.
"To top it off, every girl at the Rose Reilly Football Centre is provided with a full strip, no matter their background, ability or post code and to see the smiles on the faces of each girl as they leave makes me very proud.”
14 May 2021
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