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Ruth Gordon has been appointed to the new role of Gaelic Language Shinty Development Officer for Skye.
A partnership between Skye Camanachd and the Camanachd Association, with support from Bòrd na Gàidhlig, has made this appointment possible and Ruth will be responsible for working with local partners to grow the Gaelic language through the game of shinty whilst also leading the Association’s plan for the promotion and development of shinty.
Skye Camanachd Youth Coach Allan Macleod has led from the club’s side, and he said: “We are delighted to have received funding from Bòrd na Gàidhlig to make this all possible and even more pleased to have Ruth in the role. Ruth is a proactive person; she is well-connected and will be able to pull people into the project along the way. She will be coaching, supporting new coaches, organising tournaments and gathering support for the project.
“We see Ruth working closely with the schools, initially focusing on the primary 1 to primary 3 age groups whilst also tying in with Sarah Ross from Highlife Highland and our excellent Portree High School Shinty Ambassadors, Archie Millar and Ruby MacLeod.
“This post has real potential and I’m sure we can show that demand is there so who knows what it could lead to. Gaelic will be the vehicle to make this happen and we hope to restore shinty in areas where it has fallen away over recent years.
“Skye Camanachd would like to thank Katie Drain for her assistance with this project.”
The post will have a specific focus on growing the number of people using and benefiting from Gaelic, at home and in the community, whilst also aiming to create opportunities for adults and youths to develop their Gaelic skills at any age.
Derek Keir, Camanachd Association CEO said:
“We are delighted to have recruited Ruth and we believe her work in Skye will enable the club to take the next step on their development pathway. Our thanks go to Bòrd na Gàidhlig for making the appointment a reality, we look forward to working with more of our member clubs who seek innovative ways to increase shinty’s footprint in their area.”
Ruth will work with Gaelic communities and schools to develop new opportunities in shinty that didn’t previously exist. The objective is to provide sporting opportunities in a Gaelic sport using the Gaelic language to coach and deliver sessions thus providing a regular opportunity for participants to use their language out-with the school environment.
Partnership working is essential to success, in particular with Skye Camanachd, the Women’s Camanachd Association, the Active schools’ network, primary and secondary schools, plus Local Authorities and Leisure Trusts. Ruth will also play a lead on the Culture and Heritage Portfolio group for the Camanachd Association.