News

From our 2007-08 annual report (July 2008)

"During 2007-08, the Trust responded to a major recommendation in a report commissioned by Chess Scotland on the development of Junior Chess in Scotland, that the Trust should bid for and manage a large chess in schools project in a cluster of Edinburgh primary and secondary schools, utilising the existing schools chess league structures. Although a main bid to the Young People's Fund was eventually unsuccessful, the Trust was encouraged by the response of the Young People's Fund, by professional advice, and particularly by a very large number of supportive letters for the bid from prominent national and local politicians, public servants, business people, chess organisers and others, to believe that this broad objective was far from impractical.

The Trust continues to welcome applications from, for example, parents, teachers, schools, education authorities, businesses, and young people themselves, for support for traditional activities that meet its core aims, such as the development of and/or participation in local, regional, national and international individual and team events.

The Trust also remains alert to the prospect of establishing small to medium chess in schools projects, not excluding large projects on the scale of the Trust's 2007-08 bid for funds to the Young People's Fund. The Trust is keen to identify possible ideas and partners for all such schemes, for which it might offer advice, management and/or financial support, including possible matching funds arrangements."

Future plans

Given even a relatively modest increase in income, the Trust feels certain that it can promote more regular regional chess teaching/coaching sessions for schools and young people throughout Scotland and will seek to do this using suitably qualified young players in their late-teens/twenties as a core part of the teaching/coaching team.

The Trust is particularly keen to explore ways to support further and more effective roll-out of Chess Scotland's initiative to provide Dinosaur Chess teaching and self-learning software to all Scottish Schools, including local/regional seminars.

The Trust also has a keen interest in promoting greater uptake of a recently developed, key skills based, secondary school age qualification, endorsed by the exam board ASDAN.