Walking football marathon will raise funds for Age Scotland

A team of walking footballers will take on a marathon challenge at Oriam in November to raise funds for charity Age Scotland.

The event will take place on 21 November 2021 from 9am to 5pm. A team of players will play 16 back to back games against a series of invited teams as part of the Celebration of Walking Football hosted at Oriam that day with opportunities for anyone looking to try out the sport.

Alan McDonald from the Oriam Walking Football Charity Group explained where the idea for the event came from:“During the Covid-19 lockdown, I did a small amount of voluntary work for Care and Repair Edinburgh, a member of the Age Scotland family. I was struck by just how isolated and lonely people could become in their later life and shared this on a Zoom call with some fellow players.

“From there, the seeds for this event were planted and ten months later after a lot of hard work by a dedicated group of people, here we are. We will host around 250 players all enjoying a great day out and supporting a worthwhile cause at the same time. We are very grateful to Oriam for their support and effort to make this day a success.”

Age Scotland’s Chief Executive, Brian Sloan, will also be part of the team taking part in the marathon challenge. He said: “Walking football, and the rising popularity of walking sport in general, is helping to make sport enjoyable, sociable and inclusive for everyone and I’ve been delighted to see it going from strength to strength in Scotland.

“It deserves to be celebrated, so it’s wonderful that teams from across the country are coming together for this exciting event – especially after a long period away due to Covid-19 restrictions.

“We at Age Scotland are honoured and grateful that Oriam Walking Football have named us their chosen charity, and I’m personally looking forward to getting involved as a member of the marathon challenge team on the day.

“We hope you’ll show support for what is sure to be a great day of camaraderie, fun and friendly competition, your donations will make a real difference to the lives of older people struggling with feelings of loneliness and isolation. Every £10 raised will allow us to make two calls through our 0800 12 44 222 friendship line which offers comfort and reassurance to older people who might not hear from anyone else during the week.”

Donations can be made at www.age.scot/walkingfootball-donate.