Dame Kelly Holmes Get On Track programme has now taken off in Edinburgh

The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust has officially started working in Scotland through its Get On Track programme.

Founded by the double Olympic champion in 2008, the trust has reached 200,000 young people in the rest of the UK but up until now it didn’t operate in Scotland.

The Get On Track programme in Edinburgh, aims to support 16 to 25 year olds who are not in employment, education or training.

It is possible thanks to £200,000 awarded by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, and is being led by Commonwealth judo champion Sarah Clark, who won gold at the Glasgow games before retiring from her sport.

Dame Kelly Holmes said: “The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust is committed to providing mentoring support to young people who have been left behind, who lack the confidence and skills to aspire to achieve and I’m confident that this project will change the lives of young people in Edinburgh.”

Sarah, an Edinburgh resident, said: “Edinburgh has been my home since I was 18 and I feel so passionate about mentoring young people in the city who may need an extra helping hand.

“The idea of the programme is to support the participants through sport and help them gain confidence and skills to make them more employable.”