News

Volunteering for his Duke of Edinburgh Award

January was “Get into Volunteering” month and, of course, Sporting Memories was making the most of the campaign to encourage volunteers from all walks of life to join our team and make a difference to the lives of older sports fans. 

We have had a wide range of people who volunteer at Sporting Memories as part of their work Corporate Social Responsibility programme such as Sky and solicitors, Digby Brown. Colleges and schools have also encouraged students to spend time and learn with clubs.  

Arran signs for Club 100 

When Arran Mackey from Broxburn in West Lothian was looking for opportunities to complete the volunteering section of the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award (DofE) scheme, he chose Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland as his project. Arran is a S4 pupil at Broxburn Academy. 

What’s DofE is all about 

In case you aren’t familiar with the DofE here is little more information. DofE is open to any young person aged 14-24. Participants build their own programme, choosing activities and a cause to volunteer for. The DofE is structured into three levels of Award which increase in challenge and duration: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The main differences between the Award levels are the minimum length of time it takes to complete the programme, how challenging it is, and the minimum age you can start. There are four main sections of a DofE programme: Volunteering, Physical, Skills, and Expedition. 

Arran chose initially to volunteer with Sporting Memories as he’s a big football fan (Heart of Midlothian) and wanted the opportunity to chat about other sports as well as help out with older people. He started his volunteering journey in October last year with our Club 100 which meets in Motherwell every Friday at 1.00pm in their premises on Edward Street.  

Enjoy chatting with older sports fans 

We asked Arran more about his choice and he told us: “As a young person joining Sporting Memories I thought it was a very good idea as I heard they were friendly and wanted to involve people of all ages.  

“I enjoy talking to people who I wouldn’t usually talk to on a daily basis - I’ve learned a lot about football that I didn’t know before. For any young person doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award, Sporting Memories is a great option and I would recommend it. I looked forward to it on a Friday”  

At this point we must also mention the dedication and support of Arran’s Mum, who drove him so he could make each meeting. 

One of the highlights of Arran’s time with the club was the joint visit of Club 100 and the Bellshill club to Hampden in November last year. He managed to grab a few pics (see below) and has booked his locker and celebration suite for when he plays for Hearts in the 2028 Scottish Cup Final!!! The pic at the top of the page is Arran beside his all-time hero Craig Gordon, the Hearts and Scotland goalkeeper. 

A young point of view 

We asked Tom Mooney who is our Club facilitator at Club 100 on how he found the experience working with a sports-mad teen. He told us:  

“Arran was warmly welcomed into the fold by our members whose age ranges from late fifties to late eighties. He took part in all the activities during the club sessions including discussion of the week, sports quizzes, spot-the-ball, score prediction forecasts and general banter. 

“He prepared a variety of sports quizzes for the group and assisted with the preparation of the room prior to the meeting start, serving refreshments and tidying up afterwards. 

“The members have enjoyed Arran’s participation in the group and providing a young person’s view on our discussions. I am quite sure that Arran has become more confident in communicating with the older generation during his time with us. 

“It has been a pleasure having Arran attend our meetings and we wish him well on his future career path.” 

Arran actually enjoyed it all so much he is back on Fridays still volunteering until exam time comes round - Thank you Arran for your continued support!