Host families needed near our Heart of Midlothian FC Training Ground at Oriam, Heriot Watt University
Heart of Midlothian Football Club (“Hearts/the Club”) has been through a lot of success in youth development over the last two years on and off the field. As the Club grows, the football department continues to cultivate local, national and international talent to achieve the best results possible. One of the main objectives at the Club is to create the best conditions for our development players to grow and to achieve this, they need to be in quick and easy reach of our training facilities and in some cases our performance school at Balerno High School.
Do you own a house within close proximity to Currie area (EH14 4AS) and think that you would be able to accommodate and help our development players aged between 16 and 19 years old?
Accommodation Requirements & Reimbursement
The young players require a good quality home environment on either a temporary or full-time basis. The requirement ranges from hosting trialists for several days or weeks at a time, to longer term placements for up to 48 weeks per year, for several nights per week. This may also involve players who require permanent accommodation from further afield choosing to play at Hearts.
We require several high-quality homes, ideally for two players in each home, in order to settle them into life in Edinburgh and at Hearts. The accommodation should comprise of two double bedrooms/ twin rooms to accommodate each player, access to Wi-Fi, storage, access to TV, some personal space with their evening meals and personal laundry to be provided. We would encourage the host families to help the young players gradually achieve independent living, in the same manner as you would develop your own family.
We require host families who are flexible, committed and understand that there may be times when a room is not required, or a room is needed at short notice. The Club recognises the commitment required from the family and will pay an all-inclusive payment which covers all the costs of the arrangement when a young player has been placed.
Location Requirements & Family Suitability
We require your accommodation to be a short distance from the Hearts training ground at Oriam, Heriot Watt University, EH14 4AS and have easy access to public transport.
If you feel that you fit the criteria above and have experience of bringing up children or looking after teenagers, then you might be able to help us. All we ask from you is to provide a safe, welcoming, and homely environment for our young players. You will also play your part in nurturing the development players as they transition from youth football to professional football and help them rest and recuperate after a day’s training or school. This can be a difficult time for young players settling into a different city or country and you can make all the difference.
Living Guidelines for Host Family & Player
All host family members over 16 will be subject to a Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme criminal record check (PVG) and the household will undergo a rigorous suitability assessment of both the accommodation and people living there. Regular checks will be undertaken by the Club. The players will be issued with guidelines for living with host families, to manage their expectations as will the host families be issued with guidelines.
If you think that you are suitable and interested in being considered as a Host Family, please e-mail recruitment@homplc.co.uk with a covering letter with contact details and suitability to the role.