At this month’s 7th Russell Anderson Foundation (RAF) AGM, former Aberdeen Football Club vice-chairman George Yule announced he was stepping down, having been chairman of the trustees for the past seven years with ex-Aberdeen Drilling School chief Jim Sutherland, who has been a RAF trustee since 2017, taking over as the new chair.
Explaining the reasons, George said: “I simply felt, having been so closely involved for so long, this was the right time for someone else to take the reins for the next chapter and, in Jim, RAF has appointed exactly the correct person to achieve that.”
Founder Russell paid tribute to the contribution George has made during his time with the charity.
He said: “The hugely significant help someone of George’s calibre has been both to RAF and myself personally, cannot be overestimated and his experience, contacts and knowledge has been invaluable as we continue what has been quite a journey.
“While George’s input on the board will certainly be missed, I’m delighted to confirm that he has promised not to be a stranger and will continue to offer support to the charity and offer advice if asked.”
George added: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with RAF, having witnessed at close quarters, how the foundation has gone from strength to strength through the years, impacting so profoundly the lives of so many young people in the local area and I know RAF will continue to flourish in the months and years to come.”
Formed in 2012, RAF began by delivering free football sessions to children in some of the more socially deprived areas of the city. These days, what RAF does encompasses so much more than just football.
The whole ethos of the foundation is to empower children to make good decisions and give them a chance to reach their potential. RAF works with over 2,000 children on a weekly basis across its partner schools in the city and, although a large part of the work remains focused on health and well-being and being physically active, RAF also works with the schools in other areas to improve attainment levels and help with better outcomes for the pupils.
This includes practical cooking lessons, food support, mentoring programmes, workplace visits and employability opportunities to name some of the programmes RAF is currently delivering.