The Russell Anderson Foundation (RAF) has celebrated the winning of its first ever national recognition at the 2025 Tennis Scotland awards evening in Stirling.
RAF was successful in the ‘Tennis Opened Up’ category which recognises initiatives designed to introduce the sport to areas where tennis is not usually played and RAF chief executive Graeme Burnett, who led a delegation comprising coach Craig McKay and trustee Dave Macdermid to the ceremony, explains the work undertaken to date.
He said: “Four years ago, we partnered with Tennis Scotland and introduced the LTA Serves programme to RAF with our youngsters aged between 8 and 14 from diverse and low socio-economic areas of Aberdeen having access to 20-plus tennis sessions per year, equating to more than seven and a half thousand attendances.
“Additionally, ten of our coaches have now achieved or are in the course of achieving LTA Level 1 & 2 tennis activators and coaches qualification and I would like to take this opportunity of thanking Anna Myatt and Mike Kolacz from Tennis Scotland, who have been a huge help on our journey.
“For many of the youngsters we work with, this was a new sport for them and the enjoyment they have playing it is there for all to see and it is something we’re looking to develop within RAF.”
Anna Myatt with some of the attendees at the RAF 2025 Easter Camp at Aberdeen Sports Village.
Formed in 2012, the Russell Anderson Foundation began by delivering free football sessions to children in some of the more socially deprived areas of the city.
These days, what RAF does encompasses so much more than just football.
The whole ethos of the Foundation is to empower children to make good decisions and give them a chance to reach their potential.
RAF works with over 2000 children on a weekly basis across our 9 partner schools in the city and, although a large part of the work remains focused on health and well-being and being physically active, RAF also works with the schools in other areas to improve attainment levels and help with better outcomes for the pupils.
This includes practical cooking lessons, food support, mentoring programmes, workplace visits and employability opportunities to name some of the programmes RAF is currently delivering.