Want to know the stories behind the beautiful game? Multimedia Journalism and Media and Communication students from Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) have teamed up with the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and SPFL Trust to bring you inspiring regular coverage on Club news and community projects.
The SPFL Trust works with Scotland’s 42 professional football clubs and helps to deliver community projects such as its flagship project Football Fans in Training, which promotes health and wellbeing. To broadcast the people and players involved in these great projects, 20 students will work with the SPFL Trust and clubs to gather stories and produce content for their website, newsletters and social media sites.
The trust and clubs use the power of sport to engage with communities, encouraging involvement in physical activities with the aim of transforming lives. The SPFL Trust and its Clubs cover 84% of Scotland’s population which put them in a great position to make a positive impact on a national level.
SPFL Trust Operations Manager Derek Allison said: “We are delighted to partner with Glasgow Caledonian University students to give them invaluable experience and insights into life off the pitch. SPFL Trust, along with the SPFL Clubs, delivers bespoke projects to communities across Scotland and, working with our media department, we hope to continue to use the power of sport to engage with communities across Scotland and share this good news.”
Glasgow Caledonian University is recognised as a world leader in social policy with 20,000 students attending in Glasgow, London and New York, Bangladesh and Oman.
Lecturer in Broadcast and Online Journalism at Caledonian University Claire Dean said: “Football Clubs are the hub of many communities in Scotland and there are many untold stories and community projects which are supported and carried out in local clubs. The opportunity to partner with the SPFL Trust gives GCU students unrivalled access to SPFL Clubs and the opportunity to carry out work experience, while they hone their journalism and media skills across multiple platforms.”
The students are delighted with the opportunity to broadcast more than just the game. Third-year Multimedia Journalism student Ronnie Charters said: “I’m looking forward to reporting on the initiatives and projects which go beyond the score line on a Saturday. Football brings people together and it is these stories which I hope to uncover.”
It is hoped that by working with GCU students, the needs of local communities and stories behind the scenes will have a further impact.
