Press Release: Queen Margaret University to Research the wider role of football in society

 Edinburgh, 4 May 2010;  Queen Margaret University has been awarded an innovation grant from the Scottish Funding Council  for a research project with the Hibernian Community Foundation (HCF) that could influence how the beautiful game will promote learning and social inclusion, improve health and enhance opportunities in local communities in the future. 

The money will be used to conduct research among young adults with learning disabilities who have participated in the Lothian Hibernian project, a partnership between HCF and Lothian Special Olympics, and among others who have been involved in setting up and running Lothian Hibernian.  The study will seek to establish what impact weekly football training sessions and coaching provided by Hibernian Football Club have had upon the sense of health, well-being, self-esteem, and social life of those who have participated in the project.   The views of Under-19 players and coaches who have been involved in the project, developing their coaching and people skills and understanding of people with learning disabilities, will also be sought for the report and recommendations that will inform further development and expansion of Disability Football in Scotland and similar initiatives.

Commenting on the award Senior Psychology lecturer Dr Chris McVittie of QMU who is leading the research team said;

“Queen Margaret University is committed to providing research that makes a real and practical impact on everyday life. Working in partnership with the HCF will be an exciting and rewarding way to further the objectives of both organisations.  This is a multidisciplinary project that will involve collaborative research between university researchers and the local community.”

Lothian Hibernian was formed in 2009 through a partnership between Hibernian Community Foundation and Lothian Special Olympics. More than 50 young adults with learning disabilities are involved, and weekly training sessions are assisted by coaching input from Hibernian Football Club’s Under-19 players. Players from Lothian Hibernian participated in the 2009 GB Special Olympics, winning silver and gold medals. Lothian Hibernian also won medals at the annual Scottish Disability Sport national 5 and 7 a side tournaments.

Underlining the Hibernian Community Foundation's support of this project, Foundation Director, Tom McFarlane said: "The Hibernian Community Foundation is committed to developing this innovative way we have been able to support Lothian Hibernian through ten week blocks of coaching assistance from the club's U-19 players. By utilising the skills of QMU we hope that their research will enable and underpin work in the field of disability football throughout Scotland by the SFA and senior clubs. 

The Lothian Hibernian initiative has received recognition by national bodies, including the Scottish Football Association and Scottish Disability Sports, and has received positive feedback in providing a model of how professional football clubs can include people with disabilities and promote social and personal development.

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 Contact Maggie Wright Associates on 0131 226 3622 maggie@mwa-scotland.com

The Innovation Voucher Scheme is aimed at building relationships between SMEs (Small to Medium sized Enterprises) and HEIs (Higher Education Institutes) in Scotland. The proposed collaborative project should lead to new products and processes that will benefit the business, the institution and the Scottish economy.  The awards are specifically to encourage new partnerships that have not jointly received funding from any source previously for the proposed project so as to build links between Scotland’s Higher Education Institutes and small businesses.