John McLellan: How you can help give young people a Sporting Start

Some readers might remember that the fee for this column goes to Marie Curie Cancer Care in memory of two friends who died last year.

Jason White launches Sporting Start, which aims to help individuals and groups who face financial or other barriers which limit their opportunity to access or participate in sport. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

One was Watsonians team-mate Martin Macari who was a remarkable man in so many ways and the death from cancer at 47 of a teetotal, non-smoking, super-fit dad of two shocked our community.

I can’t claim to have been especially close to Martin, unlike his old flat-mate and 77-times capped Scotland forward Jason White who has set up a charity, Sporting Start, in Martin’s memory with the aim of encouraging more young people to take up a sport.

The transformative power of sporting participation is too often underplayed, but the rugby community has never needed any persuasion and if Jason brings the same determination to this as he did to the game, a lot of people are going to benefit. For more information, visit www.sportingstart.org.