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Please meet Bernhard and Josseph, who play basketball at a national and regional level. They were recently awarded the Postal Family Fund Rising Stars bursary to support them with their basketball expenses. We spoke to their postal worker mum, Rose about their achievements.
Why did you apply for the Postal Family Fund bursary?
Bernhard is 15 years old and plays for the Under 16s Inverness Lions Basketball Club. He represented Scotland last year in the Tri-nations event against England and Wales and is now preparing for the next international tournament. He trains every day, and we often have to travel large distances across Scotland for training and away matches. He has also been chosen for the 3-day national camp training in Glasgow run by Basketball Scotland. He has a paper round job to help pay for some of these expenses. My other son, Josseph is 14 and also plays basketball. He is in the Under 14s age group in Inverness Lions Club and has been chosen for regional training in Dundee, which gets children ready for the Tri-nations event. Since we live in the Highlands, our usual travelling time to regional or national training is 2.5 hours. I needed help financially since my sons’ basketball expenses, particularly for travel and accommodation were very overwhelming.
What impact has the bursary had?
I have been able to sign Bernhard and Josseph up for the Eurocamp 2025 residential in Dundee which will improve their skills through the coaching, training and the chance to play against some of the very best players. Bernhard and Josseph were delighted about the great news. It gives them hope to be a better version of themselves. Everything they will learn in the Eurocamp they’ll carry into themselves and instil in their hearts and soul.
What would you like to say to other postal workers thinking about applying for a bursary?
I would highly recommend Postal Family Fund to my colleagues because sometimes it’s okay not to be okay and just to open up to others to ask for help. That help will be a stepping stone for a brighter future especially to my sons, Bernhard and Josseph. They shouldn’t be unable to access resources because of a lack of financial means since they both possess the skills and the potential to become professionals in basketball.
