The Dinky Dyes Programme was established in partnership with Syngenta Football Club and Bowhouse Community Centre 18 months ago with the focus of encouraging young people between the ages of 18 months and four years old from the Bowhouse area of Grangemouth to get involved in physical activity.
Dinky Dyes is part of Grangemouth Community Sport Hub (CSH), which in turn is part of a national sportscotland programme that that brings together local sports clubs and other community organisations to improve the contribution that sport and physical activity has on a community.
The CSH approach is designed to support and empower local people to improve sport and physical activity in communities across Scotland and is National Lottery funded.
Removing barriers
The Dinky Dyes sessions are delivered by qualified coaches with specific qualifications for working with pre-schoolers, making this a very tailored approach to helping children of a young age get into physical activity.
The project aims to break down barriers to participation, by providing access to physical activity to young people in the area without the financial burden of taking part.
Kevin McGuire from Syngenta Football Club commented: “We started with one free session per week, and it has now become so popular that we are delivering four sessions per week with over 120 kids going through the programme. The sessions currently have a waiting list, and we are looking at the possibility of delivering daily sessions to meet the demand!
“Feedback has been very positive so far and it’s helping provide the club with a pipeline of new players who have grown an interest in the sport.”
A great working relationship has been established with Bowhouse Community Centre, allowing for a smooth delivery of the programme, in turn supporting a local facility and keeping the programme in the heart of the Bowhouse Community.
Martin Wylie, Falkirk Council's Community Sport Hub Officer commented:
“The Dinky Dyes Programme is a fantastic initiative from Syngenta Football Club which no doubt is meeting community needs by understanding barriers that people can face to participating in sport and physical activity.
"Inclusion should underpin anything we do, and this programme is a fine example of this.”
Syngenta Football Club Secretary, Nikki Corner commented: “The Dinky Dyes programme has been a massive success for the community and club working in partnership. We recognised that the desired outcome was to have football activities accessible for parents with children from 18 months to 4 years and, if possible, for free, in the Bowhouse area of Grangemouth. After consultation with the Bowhouse community centre we agreed to run a pilot weekly session which was oversubscribed by about 200%!”
“With that in mind we now run 4 free sessions per week, run by professional academy coaches. The sessions are all about having fun, getting used to a (very small) football and getting an hour of great exercise. More than 90% of the parents walked with their children to the sessions and many have developed a social circle through meeting at the sessions.”
“So, what’s in it for the club, you might ask? Well, it’s simple - these toddlers and nursery children now feed straight into our junior academy programme, when they start school, and we no longer need to advertise for players at our newest age groups - the pipeline is full!”
“The programme is in its third year now and goes from strength to strength with over 100 pre-schoolers attending at least one session per week.”
Developing skills
Community sport hubs have huge potential to change and better the lives of individuals and communities alike.
Not only does the Dinky Dyes Programme help break down financial barriers to participation and provide social opportunities for young people’s development, but it also provides a crucial opportunity for them to develop essential skills that they can carry with them through their lives, providing key learning and development opportunities for communication, teamwork, motor skills, hand to eye coordination, and balance.
Nikki summed it up best when she said:
“We’re developing our future players sooner, supporting a really vulnerable section of our community and it costs the children and parents nothing! What’s not to love!”
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