Active Schools Forres, Police Scotland and Moray Council looking into investing in a new street sports cage after successful summer sessions

The MORAY Active Schools team, in partnership with Police Scotland, hope to replace a portable play area popular with young football and basketball players last year.

Active Schools Forres, Police Scotland and Moray Council youth workers held drop in sessions for P7-S6 pupils in Forres Tesco car park from July 5-9 from 6-9pm as part of a summer activities programme.

Active Schools coordinator Rosalyn Carruthers said: “We held street football on three nights with Forres Mechanics, Forres Thistle and Nairn St Ninians Women’s Football Club, along with two street basketball sessions led by Moray Council coaches and volunteers from our Active Schools ‘Young Leaders’ programme. The sessions were really successful. Feedback from participants was excellent; they were pleased that something was organised specifically for them. There was a really good atmosphere, something we’d like to replicate.”

PC Michelle MacDonald added that there were also two summer activity sessions at Grant Park.

She said: “An average 20 young people attended the cage and approximately eight to 10 attended the park. Games formats generally involved teams of four playing in a round-robin format.

“Everyone enjoyed them so we hope to run them again once the right equipment is in place.”

The games cage has been out of action since October.

Mrs Carruthers said: “The portable cage was a draw and the drop-in nature of sessions really suited the participants who, along with their families, would like to have the cage set up every few weeks.

“We know with the community support that we have in Forres that we could get volunteers to assemble the cage and oversee the sessions but it needs to be replaced first.”

Active Schools are currently trying to source funding for the equipment.

For more information, email Rosalyn.Carruthers@moray.gov.uk