Dumbarton FC fan helps out in Ghana

Apr 10 2009 by Tina Kemp, Lennox Herald (main ed)

A DUMBARTON teenager will use his love of football to help underprivileged kids thousands of miles away in Africa.

Cameron Watson, 19, travels to Ghana in June to help professional soccer coaches working with children in deprived areas.

The lifelong Dumbarton FC supporter decided he wanted to combine his love of travel with volunteer work overseas.

And when he spotted the opportunity to spend the summer in the West African country Cameron jumped at the chance.

He said: “I’ve been overseas before but this will be the first time doing volunteer work. I just Googled ‘volunteer work’ and found the Real Gap Experience. By pure coincidence Football Ghana was on their main page. I read a bit about it and thought that’s for me.”

Former Hermitage Academy pupil Cameron will fly into the country’s capital Accra and will be based there, or in surrounding slum villages where the coaching programme takes place, for a month.

He will work with children from deprived backgrounds, including orphans, street children and youngsters with disabilities, helping to develop their football talent and offering them care, support and education.

His role will include assisting coaches in football classes, helping to organise training sessions and competitions, refereeing games, giving advice and lessons on football tactics and taking part in soccer camps and local tournaments.

Cameron, of Oxhill Road, will live with a host family and has been told to expect fairly basic living conditions.

He said: “It will be a good experience. I’m told the people really open their arms to you and look after you as much as possible.”

A staunch supporter of the Sons, Cameron goes to all the home games and as many away fixtures as possible. “My family is connected with football and it’s always been a part of my life so this seems like the right place for me to go,” he said.

Cameron needs £1400 for the trip and is organising a fundraising ceilidh in Cardross Church hall on Friday, April 10, from 8pm to midnight.

When he returns from Africa Cameron, who has just finished a business course at the Glasgow College of Commerce, plans to study for an HNC.