Development School
Every week, The Russell Anderson Foundation deliver our multi-sport programme to 2115 young people across our partner schools. Whilst the Foundation started with a focus on providing fun football-fitness coaching, our team of coaches now use a variety of sports and games for provision of physical activity that is both high quality and inclusive for all participants.
The school programme is designed to develop the coordination, balance and general motor skills of each child, whilst also giving them the tools to work well as part of a team, show creativity and improve their confidence within sporting situations. The Foundation aims to create an environment where having fun and participation are more important than achievement, and these positive and determined attitudes are rewarded with ‘RADS points’ and ‘RADS awards’.
Across all of the partner schools The Russell Anderson Foundation visit, our free after-school clubs have 410 weekly attendees. As well as offering fun football and teamwork games, tennis has become a key part of our school and extra-curricular programme, with a strong partnership with the SERVES initiative supporting this addition.
Food & Community Support
The Russell Anderson Foundation also aims to provide social support to young people and families within the communities we work in. Our food support programme has seen over 12,000 food items delivered to the homes of families in need and donated to our partner schools for their use. These donations have included over 4000 chocolate eggs for easter themed sessions such as egg-hunts and festivals.
As well as our extensive food support programme, the Foundation are committed to helping children and their families in the community in a number of different ways, such as with provision of warm winter jackets and sports trainers.
Health & Wellbeing
The health and wellbeing of the children and their families within the community are at the heart of everything the Foundation does. On top of the work done by our coaches in our partner schools and in extra curricular activities, The Russell Anderson Foundation has partnered with the National Health Service to create a ‘Widening Participation Scheme’. As part of this relationship, NHS professionals and specialists have visited our partner schools to provide age-specific workshops, allowing pupils to enhance their knowledge of health and well-being.
Another initiative that has allowed pupils to develop their knowledge and skills in relation to their own family's health and wellbeing has been the introduction of practical cooking hubs in selected schools. Here, the young people involved are given skills on how to plan, prepare and cook cost-effective and healthy meals, to further understand nutrition.
Young Leaders
The Russell Anderson Foundations' accredited ‘Young Leader’ programme has become a huge success. In this initiative, Primary 7 pupils are given the opportunity to apply for the position to support our team of coaches in delivering sessions to the younger classes in their school. Initially responsible for helping to plan sessions and coaching small parts of sessions, the programme aims to improve the selected pupils planning and communication skills to eventually design and present their own, full sessions.
More recently, the The Russell Anderson Foundation have run ‘Young Leader Festivals’, where the Primary 7 pupils from each school can come together to both collaborate, and share ideas to take back to their respective schools. As well as helping each Young Leader with their self-esteem and confidence by working in a different coaching environment, these festivals have given the pupils the opportunity to build new relationships before their transitions to secondary school.
Holiday Camps & Festivals
The Russell Anderson Foundation have increased our commitment to offering free extra curricular coaching for the schools in our communities. As well as expanding our after-school programme, we have run numerous holiday camps, using the extensive sports facilities at Aberdeen Sports Village. As part of these camps, those attending were given daily multi-sport coaching from our Foundation coaches, as well as given the opportunity to work with specialised coaches from Kings Links Golf Centre, Scottish Hockey and Aberdeenshire RFC (Rugby).
As well as learning about new sports and playing fun team games, the participants at each holiday camp also all receive a free packed lunch including a sandwich, drink, snacks and fruit. 1250 of these packed lunches have been given to families of those attending.
Our relationship with the Aberdeen Sports Village extends to use of the facility for a number of our Foundation's annual events, such as our Young Leader and Primary 4 festivals.
Find out more about our Sports Camps and to watch our amazing drone video
NHS Widening Participation Partnership
The Russell Anderson Foundation works in partnership with the National Health Service to deliver a widening participation scheme to the pupils across all of our partner schools.
As part of this programme, NHS staff and students visit classes to give them presentations and practical lessons, focusing on a number of different aspects of health and wellbeing. The topics covered by the NHS professionals are often incorporated to our coaches' weekly sports sessions.
Younger classes in our partner schools have been given health lessons to understand the structure of the body whilst also being taught about dental hygiene and how to brush their teeth through Child Smile and their donations of toothpaste and brushes. Whereas, older classes have been given basic first aid tuition and have been given opportunities to visit medical buildings and establishments.
Furthermore, this programme has been extended to the secondary schools that we work within. The NHS Widening Participation aims to continue education into these years, whilst also offering career opportunities and pathways for the pupils.
