Calderside Academy kids to cut rail crime

Nov 12 2009 by Shirley Bartynek, Hamilton Advertiser

ONE of Europe’s top freestyle footballers was the first guest coach to visit a Lanarkshire school as part of a new sports initiative.

Colin Nell visited Calderside Academy, in Blantyre, as part of South Lanarkshire Council’s No Messin’ Active Schools programme.

Network Rail has teamed up with the authority to develop the programme of sports activities designed to tackle the issue of youth railway crime in the region.

Lanarkshire towns have featured consistently in the top five worst regions in Scotland for railway crime, with 122 incidents of trespass and vandalism reported in nine towns during 2008.

Aimed at 32 schools in South Lanarkshire, including four high schools and 28 local primary schools, the initiative will provide five extra curricular activities in each of the schools between now and summer 2010, with further events planned during Easter and summer holidays.

The aim is to reduce the likelihood of young people trespassing and vandalising the railway by introducing them to new sports and providing an outlet for them to participate.

The No Messin! Active Schools' initiative builds on the success of Network Rail’s No Messin' Live! event which took place at Hamilton Palace Grounds in July.

The free event attracted over 2000 young people through the gates to participate in a range of sports, art and music activities

The scheme’s success will be measured by the number of young people taking up new sports, with a long term objective of reducing railway crime in the area.

Mark Henderson, Network Rail community safety manager said: “Lanarkshire is fairly unique in that five railway lines run through the region, including the busy West Coast main line. That means that the railway is at the very heart of the community here and it is always a lure for young people looking for somewhere to hang out of sight from adults.

“The No Messin’ initiative aims to show that there are more productive, enjoyable ways to spend your time than hanging around near the railway. Our involvement in Active Schools demonstrates that we have a long term commitment to tackling the issue of rail crime in the area.”