Recently I teamed up with Scotland’s leading anti-sectarianism charity Nil by Mouth at an event in Holyrood to help encourage young people across Scotland to stand up and be counted in the battle against sectarianism.

Nil by Mouth was founded by Glasgow teenage Cara Henderson after the brutal sectarian murder of her friend Mark Scott in 1996. Since then the organisation has campaigned tirelessly against sectarianism on, and off, the terraces.

The charity currently offers workshops in schools, colleges and youth groups through its ‘Champions for Change’ scheme which seeks to inspire young people to challenge sectarian attitudes and learn more about other cultures and beliefs.

The project seeks to embed strong anti-sectarian policies, practices and procedures into schools and encourage pupils to set up their own anti-sectarian initiatives and I’m delighted to be able to lend my support to this cause.

In schools across Scotland young people have used ‘Champions for Change’ to run inter-faith events, football competitions, set up pupil action committees and draw up anti-sectarianism charters.

It shouldn’t be forgotten that only a third of arrests for sectarian behaviour are related to football. This problem seeps right across our society and that’s what makes Nil by Mouths work in schools all the more important. Sectarianism is a problem for Scotland but not an insurmountable one and this can be the generation which defeats it once and for all.

I was joined by Nil by Mouth Campaign Director Dave Scott, who is doing a fantastic job with the organisation, and he added that “Everyone has a part to play in ridding Scotland of bigotry and we have been working with a number of youth groups, schools and colleges right across Scotland.

“All Nil By Mouth services are free of charge and we are very keen to deepen our work with groups across the Fife area. By working together we can banish bigotry once and for all.”