Funding Boost for Campaign

Teenage football are to benefit from a partnership between Nil by Mouth and one of Scotland’s most successful property companies.  

The charity 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 west of Scotland High Schools which will see young football fans explore the passion, pantomime and passion which swirls around the sport in Scotland.  

Lauren hands over the cheque to Nil by Mouth’s Emma Alexander along with some of the young people taking part.

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 Football Club.  

HFD Charitable Foundation Ambassador Lauren McKenzie last week visited Gleniffer 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. HFD offers property development, office management, construction, energy and associated data services to a diverse range of business. The company also has a proud history of supporting charitable causes, awarding more than £3m to over 60 charities over the past 20 years.

2025 sees Nil by Mouth mark its 25th anniversary, having been 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. 

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, it’s more important than ever that we talk to young people, not at them and by bringing in people like Kevin Harper the groups get to ask some of the pioneers of advancing equality in Scottish football about their experiences, challenges and motivations. The feedback from the young people has been very positive and we aim to kick off similar programmes in other parts of Scotland over the next few months.’