How football is sparking social change in Scotland

When young people grow up surrounded by deprivation, instability or limited opportunity, the risk of antisocial behaviour and involvement in crime can rise sharply. Intervention often begins with a helping hand, a safe space and a sense of purpose. Sport – not least football – can provide all three.

That ethos underpins the Scottish Football Association’s long-running support for CashBack for Communities, a Scottish government initiative that reinvests funds recovered from the proceeds of crime into programmes for young people.

Since 2008, the Scottish FA has delivered football-based CashBack activities in some of the nation's most deprived communities, providing structure, positive role models and safe spaces for young people at risk of antisocial behaviour or exposure to crime.

'It’s given me something to look forward to'

Programmes include free holiday sports camps for ten-to-twelve-year-olds, informal ‘Play Fitba’ football sessions for teenagers and young adults to encourage participation, and ‘Kick Aboot’ – a ten-week targeted outreach for children aged between ten and 16.

As many as 96% of Play Fitba and Kick Aboot participants reported reduced involvement in antisocial or criminal behaviour, including 13-year-old Mason from Dundee – one of the 4,792 young people supported by CashBack last year alone.

"Before, I would be bored most nights and have nothing to do. This meant all I did was wander the streets with my mates and sometimes end up in bother," says Mason. "Kick Aboot has given me something to look forward to."

The SFA’s CashBack programmes extend beyond participation, focusing on using football for education and personal development, helping young people gain coaching qualifications, leadership skills and work experience – with powerful results. Every participant in the 2024/25 Volunteer Inspire Programme, for instance, has since progressed into further education, training or employment.

"CashBack for Communities demonstrates the powerful role football can play in changing young lives," said Paul McNeill, head of the Scottish FA's football development unit. "We are helping young people stay active, build confidence and make positive choices. With clear reductions in antisocial behaviour, strong progression into education and employment, and measurable improvements in health, wellbeing and social connection, it continues to deliver meaningful, long-term impact."

Football as a gateway to change

Although serving different groups, that same philosophy of access and prevention underpins the association's four-year national partnership with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS), which aims to get more women playing football and taking part in regular physical activity.

The programme was launched in response to a significant health need in Scotland, where 90,000 women currently live with heart disease and ischaemic heart disease accounts for almost one in ten deaths among women.

Through the partnership, women aged 16 and over across the country are being invited to free, weekly, women only football sessions, delivered through community clubs by Scottish FA staff, with ongoing support from CHSS health specialists.

'We’re creating spaces where women can get active'

Regular physical activity is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of heart disease, yet many women still face barriers to participation including confidence, cost and lack of welcoming environments.

To remove those barriers, the new football sessions are non competitive, social and supportive – prioritising friendship, confidence and belonging over competition. Health advice and education provided by the CHSS specialist serves to amplify the positive impact. There are currently 12 centres running sessions, with more than 800 women having taken part.

"Football has an extraordinary ability to bring women together and create meaningful change," explains Shirley Martin, the Scottish FA’s head of women’s football. "We’re creating spaces where women can get active, build confidence and reconnect with the game. At the same time, we’re using football as a trusted platform to share vital information about heart, chest and stroke health – knowledge that can genuinely change and even save lives."