MONTROSE Football Club has received a funding grant of £10,000 from the Scottish Football Partnership which will assist to help and develop the Gable Endies’ numerous community-engagement initiatives.The Links Park Community Trust, in partnership with the football club, offers a range of innovative sporting, health and educational programmes available to the people of Montrose and Kincardine including a range of recreational, developmental and competitive football programmes for all ages, from the Links’ Little Dribblers initiative for pre-school children to the Just Play bounce games for adults aged between 30 and 65. Funding from The Scottish Football Partnership will also support the trust’s educational initiatives, including the innovative health, numeracy, literacy and science Links Trails. These role-play trails, run during school tours of Links Park stadium, are designed to help primary pupils explore and understand the roles played by English, mathematics, health and science play in the everyday running of a football club. The Links Park Community Trust also works in partnership with NHS Tayside and other Montrose-based groups on various programmes including free Friday night football sessions for local youths to promote a healthy lifestyle approach. The Trust is also in the process of developing free health checks for men aged between 49 and 70 and the funding will also be used to help develop a learning centre at Links Park, which will include IT facilities, as well as recruit and train an extensive network of volunteers to support the work of the trust. Derek Sim, Montrose FC Chairman said: “The allocation of this money will allow the trust to further develop its community-based programmes across all three strands – football, education and health.“It is encouraging to receive this significant funding at a time when financial constraints cast a large shadow over Scottish football. “This grant award will be put to good use by supporting our biggest fans – the people of Montrose and Kincardine.”