AN Edinburgh-based crane specialist has teamed up with the Scottish Football Partnership (SFP) Trust to provide vital support to a local club.
Bernard Hunter Mobile Cranes delivers containers and portable changing facilities across Scotland for the SFP Trust. The business has now made a donation, which will go towards helping Dalkeith Thistle’s plans to buy new portable floodlights and goalposts.
Mark Rafferty from Bernard Hunter explained, “Bernard Hunter Mobile Cranes is delighted to support the SFP Trust. As a family owned and operated firm stretching back over 70 years, each of our three generations has enjoyed a close association with its local community. We realise the importance of sports participation in an inclusive environment for young people and as a local employer, with staff and their families in the neighbouring communities, we consider it a privilege to support community initiatives such as the SFP Trust.”
The club’s Tony Cervi added, “Dalkeith Thistle Community F.C. is a fast-growing community club with over 400 players now, ranging from toddlers all the way through to under 20’s and incorporating walking football and now disabled football. Because of the rapid increase in size, in common with other clubs we are coming up against constraints on when and where to train and play. The investment in portable floodlights has opened a new opportunity for the older age groups to train in other parts of our facility, at later times, thereby increasing the training hours and protecting parts of our grass from over-use in the winter months.
“In terms of the folding goals, our view was that purchasing these would vastly reduce the time taken to set up and finish our games, giving the coaches a lot more time to coach and allowing parents and carers to come along and just enjoy the games. The assistance of the SFP and Bernard Hunter in funding these investments has been a huge help to us, and we are very grateful to both organisations.”
