A funding application by a youth sports club worth close to £50,000 over three years has been recommended for approval at the Highland Council city of Inverness area committee next week.

American football club Highland Wildcats have applied to the Inverness Common Good Fund for a sum of £16,000 per year to contribute towards the Highland Youth Empowerment Programme (HYEP).

The scheme aims to tackle pressing issues facing young people from a range of social backgrounds aged 13 to 19 in the Inverness and surrounding area, such as obesity, isolation in rural areas, and the fear of trying new things.

Highland Wildcats say the Common Good Fund contribution would cover a little over a third of the cost of the programme, with the rest being covered by a combination of annual subscriptions from players, the Garfield Weston Foundation and lottery funding.

The core services of the Wildcats’ HYEP include one-to-one mentoring, assistance with apprenticeships, and courses covering athlete development, nutrition, and first aid – with the overarching goal being to utilise American football as a medium to promote this initiative and its positive outcomes.

To meet the criteria of the programme, the Wildcats have set out a number of targets and goals for the coming years.

They aim to engage young people through their Community League, which involved up to 120 pupils from six high schools in the Highlands and runs from January to March.

The Community League acts as an inclusive introduction to American football and enables young people of all genders and fitness levels to interact, fostering integration and the development of crucial confidence and life skills.

In response to feedback, the Wildcats also plan to expand the age group of the project, introducing a team for 16 to 19-year-olds. This extension will offer continuous access to development opportunities and our other services, as well as additional physical activity, from April each year.

To ensure ongoing positive impact and empowerment, a young person committee will be established, with their key objectives including identifying and addressing issues faced by themselves and their peers, as well as actively participating in project management.

As part of the HYEP, there will be opportunities for participants to engage in regular athlete development and skills-based sessions, complete courses in leadership and first aid, and develop larger social networks.

In their application, the Wildcats argued: “Scotland is facing a crisis with regard to young people’s mental health, physical health and wellbeing.

“A 2022 NHS Health Scotland report identified social isolation as a key contributor to poor mental health, often stemming from a lack of positive peer relationships.

“Young people’s mental wellbeing is now a priority for the Scottish Government, but that’s not the only problem. Added to this are high unemployment and large numbers of young people leaving school with little or no qualifications.

“Our young people want to play a part in tackling this crisis. They came together to identify issues affecting them and their friends and how they can make a difference through their community-based, non-traditional sport of American football.”

The potential impact of the American football club was highlighted through their previous Gamechanger programme, with one case studied being described as having “struggled with severe anxiety since moving to the Highlands nine years ago, which made it difficult for him to settle into school, make friends and prevented him from engaging with any activities.”

However, in early 2023 he would come across the Wildcats in school and ask to attend, which led to “a huge change in his confidence and commitment after just a few weeks at training.”

He has since become a regular at the club, made friendships which have extended beyond Wildcats activities and trained for the NFL Flag leadership award – all while volunteering in his old school and starting a part-time job.

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