Ellie coaching two boys
From Boston to Bayview, Scotland’s football spirit is on display this summer. While the Tartan Army has been winning admirers at the World Cup, a teenage coach from Levenmouth is helping inspire Scotland’s next generation of football stars closer to home.
Seventeen-year-old Ellie Gray is being celebrated as one of H100 Fife's Community Heroes in recognition of her commitment to East Fife Community Football Club and the hundreds of children she supports.
Since 2023, H100 Fife has worked with more than 60 local groups and organisations across Levenmouth, with the Community Heroes campaign recognising individuals or organisations making an exceptional difference in their communities.
Ellie’s football journey began as a five-year-old ‘Mini Kicker’ at the club. By the age of nine, she had been spotted by scouts and went on to play for Hibernian and East Fife.
But her biggest contribution may be off the pitch. Since becoming a volunteer at just 11 years old through the club’s Young Leader programme, Ellie has developed into a key coach and role model, balancing her volunteering with studying for her Highers at Levenmouth Academy.
Today, she helps lead sessions at East Fife Community Football Club’s popular summer camps at the Bayview Stadium, which are supported through SGN’s H100 Fife programme. The camps ensure local children can take part regardless of their circumstances. More than 1,000 children have attended since the club’s partnership with SGN began in 2023.
Having benefited from the club’s support herself, Ellie is now helping inspire the next generation of young players.
Football coach Ellie
World Cup
“If I can help inspire some of the young people coming through now in the same way others inspired me, that’s something I’m really proud of.”
Eleonora Carbone, Stakeholder and Community Manager for H100 Fife, said: "Through our support of the summer camps, we're helping ensure every child has the opportunity to get active and enjoy sport. Ellie embodies everything that's great about community sport and we're delighted to recognise her as a H100 Fife Community Hero.
"We're excited to see children coming along to the camps inspired by Scotland stars like John McGinn, Scott McTominay and Erin Cuthbert – and by local role models like Ellie."
The East Fife Community Football Club summer camps return this summer during the school holidays.
Kieran Lindsay, Football Development Officer at East Fife Community Football Club, said:
“The camps are fantastic for the local community. They give children the opportunity to take part in sport, make new friends and build their confidence."
SGN’s funding has made a huge difference. It allows us to offer the camps at a reduced cost of just £3 per day or £15 per week, helping more children and families access the programme.
It’s incredibly rewarding to see the children develop, not only in their sporting abilities but also as individuals. Seeing their smiling faces throughout the year is what makes these camps so special.