Rangers players visit Glasgow primary school

Rangers players visit Glasgow primary school

Rangers players Jamie Barjonas and Aidan Wilson visited Gowanbank Primary School to help inspire a generation of young pupils on the benefits of a balanced diet and exercise.
The Rangers Charity Foundation is working with 30 schools in Glasgow as part of its +Sport Move Learn CSR project with Ferrero and the SPFL Trust.

The project will see Rangers community coaches deliver lessons on topics including nutrition and activity to 1,800 nine and 10 year olds this season. Each class will receive six weeks of lessons with each week consisting of a 45 minute classroom session addressing topics such as nutrition, hydration and exercise followed up with a 45 minute practical football session in the gym hall. Jamie and Aidan dropped in on the pupils at Gowanbank and took part in a special Q&A session.

Jamie said: “It was great to meet with all the pupils and see what impact the Foundation is having in their lives. Leading an active and balanced lifestyle is obviously very important to us as footballers and the kids we met were all very knowledgeable about the benefits of eating a varied diet and exercising. Their questions were great and showed how interested they are in what they have been learning.”

 

Aidan added: “It is a brilliant project. I would have loved to have football coaches coming to school and teaching me when I was their age. What the charity foundation does in the community is really special and it was good fun being involved today.”

Jordan Boyd, Rangers Charity Foundation Senior Community Executive, said: “It was great to have Jamie and Aidan along to Gowanbank Primary School today. +Sport Move and Learn is all about trying to encourage future generations to embrace an active and balanced lifestyle. The two players are excellent role models for the pupils to look up to and they really drove home the link between football, education and health.”

Christie Lamb, Gowanbank Primary School Class Teacher, said: “The Rangers coaches have been a fantastic addition to our health and wellbeing lessons. There has been an excellent balance between physical activity in the gym as well as life skills being taught in class.

“The pupils have been engaged and motivated and have enjoyed working with coaches who are clearly very experienced and knowledgeable. Having the Rangers players in was an amazing opportunity for the children and they loved the experience.”

Nicky Reid, SPFL Trust Chief Executive Officer, added: “It’s wonderful to be able to showcase the great work Rangers are doing through +Sport Move and Learn. It’s a fantastic programme that really focuses on making healthy lifestyle choices – much like a professional footballer has to do.

“To have Jamie and Aidan here today at Gowanbank Primary School is not only really exciting for the pupils but also demonstrates the commitment that Rangers and the Rangers Charity Foundation has to their communities.

“They are on track to have delivered this project to almost 5,500 young people since the project began three years ago and we are delighted to be able to work with them to facilitate their programme delivery in Scotland. Once again Scottish football is trusted to deliver key outcomes at the heart of the communities they serve.”

A spokesperson from Ferrero said: “We are delighted to be working with Rangers again this year for the +Sport Move and Learn Project, an integral part of Ferrero’s Kinder + Sport Corporate Social Responsibility programme. Our partnership with the SPFL Trust and all our member clubs has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and we are proud that together we have inspired thousands of children to discover new ways to enjoy an active and balanced lifestyle.”