Ayr United Football Academy is looking to ensure that that all of the groups under their guidance are being helped during this prolonged lockdown.

Before lockdown, the academy supported a number of groups such as walking footballers, strollers and employability groups.

As face to face sessions continue to be avoided, everyone at the academy believes they still have an important role to play in the lives of all of their group members.

Bobby Hay from AUFA said: “We deliver to a number of different groups, so it’s so important for us to help them all.

“It’s been important to keep in touch with the groups. It shows how well the community is still coming together”.

The academy is continuing to run zoom quizzes and coffee morning, to make sure that the members are still having connection with other people.

The power of football is something that AUFA feels strongly about, and is partly why they think the groups continue to be so successful.:

Bobby said: “I think football has that power to attract people.

“Relating things to what people like is something we’re keen to do and is why the members enjoy the groups so much.

“All the stuff we’re doing online, like our quizzes and coffee morning, is to support as many people as we can during this.

“I think in these times, there’s no right or wrong with what people do.

“We have so many contacts with so many different groups, so we feel it’s the right thing to do to support these people. We hope we’re all doing enough at the Football Academy.”

The academy is also continuing with its employability programs. It aims to support 16-24-year-olds who are out of work.

This course helps people to build their employability and social skills and the academy uses its contacts in the area to try and get as many people back into work as possible.

Bobby said: “It’s been so difficult for a lot of people in the last few months. With redundancies and stuff like that, people have been struggling.

“Just like our other groups, it’s all about helping in the ways we know best”.

To find our more about the groups, you can visit the Ayr United Football Academy website.