Helping the Community – Gavin Menzies

We are all currently living in uncertain times and with this challenge, local communities have come closer together by staying apart. basketballscotland want to take this time to recognise the fantastic efforts of Gavin Menzies, Head Coach of Edinburgh-based High Flyers Basketball Academy.

Gavin has taken it upon himself to volunteer his time to work alongside The Health Agency in Wester Hailes.

Julie Edgcombe, Principal Teacher of Murrayburn Primary School, spoke about how Gavin’s commitment to helping others has benefitted the local community during these times:

“Gavin’s never-ending enthusiasm and commitment has ensured that not only our families, but the community as a whole, has received consistent and invaluable support during this difficult time. We would like to say a huge thank you to Gavin and everyone at High Flyers Basketball Academy for all their amazing hard work.”

During the last several weeks, Gavin has taken a selfless approach to help others by getting emergency food, essential item packs and lunch packs out to vulnerable children and struggling families within the local community.

Gavin has put in a fantastic effort to negotiate with local supermarkets to secure food items to go into these packs, ordered essential items, collected the food and essentials, collated and prepared the packs and then delivered them. He has also made sure that all who require this support get his immediate attention whenever they’re in need of an emergency pack.

Beatrice Buchanan, a parent of a High Flyers player, explained how Gavin is a role model to children by having the ability to teach them about perseverance and resilience:

“Gavin Menzies is not only a basketball coach, he is teaching kids to be resilient and to persevere in any situation, including personal ones, where their confidence lacks. His ‘can do’ attitude and his social consciousness (for example, helping in food banks) makes him a real role model for the kids and we truly appreciate the extra dimension he brings to his basketball coaching.”

Gavin has also gone above and beyond to prepare and deliver hot meals to vulnerable adults. He shared excess food items amongst various partnership organisations and co-delivered a strategy to help those in need.

Through Gavin’s help and efforts, The Healthy Agency Team have so far, worked tirelessly to prepare and deliver over 5,000 hot meals and lunch packs to vulnerable children and families and issue around 250 emergency packs to all who require this type of support during this time of uncertainty and hardship.

Gavin elaborated on how the local community has helped support High Flyers over the years and now that the community needs their support, he will make sure that they will be there for the them:

“I think a community’s greatest strength is the people within it. My own view is that if you have the ability to help and lend support to others, then you should do so. Our academy has grown with the support of our community and when they need us – we would like them to know that we are there for them. Our classes are run in scout halls, schools and churches, offering some of the most affordable player pathways and opportunities there is and getting involved with outreach programmes and support projects help us to engage and fulfil our ethos as an academy for everyone.”

On top of this, Gavin has also made sure that he has a strong social media presence as he’s started up two ‘lend a hand’ Facebook groups for the Sighthill and Carrick Knowe / Corstorphine areas. These groups provide a platform for people to speak up and reach out if they need support.

To join the Sighthill group, click here.

To join the Carrick Knowe / Corstorphine group, click here.

If you would like to share how a member of the extended basketballscotland community has been helping others during these difficult times, then please email enquiries@basketball-scotland.com.

 

basketballscotland would once again like to thank its members that are going the extra mile during these times. We hope that you remain happy, healthy, safe and well.