Paisley high school pupils set to benefit from Nil by Mouth funding
Teenage football fans in Paisley are to benefit from a partnership between a leading equalities charity and one of Scotland's most successful property companies.
Nil by Mouth has been awarded a grant of £3,000 from the HFD Charitable Foundation to run the 'Us & Them' project in conjunction with a number of Renfrewshire high schools.
The scheme will see football-mad youngsters explore the pantomime, passion and poison of the sport in Scotland.
One of the schools benefiting from the project is Gleniffer High in Foxbar which will receive visits from the football writer and podcaster Daniel Gray; former Premier League star and anti-racism campaigner Kevin Harper; and take part in a behind-the-scenes tour at St Mirren.
HFD Charitable Foundation ambassador Lauren McKenzie visited Gleniffer High to present a cheque to some of the pupils and staff involved in the project and find out more about the young people's views on the game.
Nil by Mouth partnership manager Emma Alexander said: 'We are very grateful to the HFD Foundation for backing our work in this way and through its investment we can increase the number of young people we are able to work with.
'The donation allows us to take 'Us & Them' into schools like Gleniffer and provides a unique opportunity to connect with groups of young fans and explore the passion, pantomime and poison which swirls around football.
'We want to help the young people explore what the game means to them and consider the impact of individual or group behaviour on other fans, players and officials.
'However, its more important than ever that we talk to young people, not at them, and by bringing in people like Kevin, the groups get to ask some of the pioneers of advancing equality in Scottish football about their experiences, challenges and motivations in both their lives and careers.
'The feedback from the young people has been very positive to date and we aim to kick off similar programmes in other parts of Scotland over the next few months.'
HFD offers property development, office management, construction, energy and associated data services to a diverse range of business.
The company also as a proud history of supporting charitable causes – awarding more than £3 million to over 60 charities over the past 20 years.
It established the HFD Charitable Foundation to substantially increase its partnerships and grant funds, allowing it to support a broader range of charities and individuals while formalising and improving its charitable initiatives.
Members of the HFD team are also encouraged to put forward grant recipient ideas with many allocations going to charities suggested internally, with the business also matching staff charitable donations.
2025 sees Nil by Mouth mark its 25th anniversary.
The organisation was set up by Glasgow teenager Cara Henderson in response to the sectarian murder of her school friend Mark Scott as he made his way home from a football match in the city.
Over that time, the charity has worked with tens of thousands of people in schools, workplaces, communities and sports clubs right across Scotland.
The 'Us & Them' project will also explore rivalry in sport and what sort of behaviour is acceptable, or otherwise, in football stadiums.
Ms McKenzie added: 'Nil by Mouth's work is helping young people think more critically about football, identity, and how we treat each other – both on and off the pitch.
'The 'Us & Them' project encourages honest conversations around equality and respect, while giving pupils a chance to hear from inspiring figures in Scottish sport.
'It's exactly the kind of grassroots initiative our charitable foundation is proud to support – bringing communities together across the region.'
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