After a recent meeting with Committee members of the Strathclyde Fire & Rescue's Fire Services Sports & Athletics Association the Sports Sections are now being set up. The FSSAA are happy to welcome REA members into their Sports Sections and indeed, a good proportion of FSSAA members are already retired.

It has always been part of the FSSAA Constitution that "only members who are serving, or retired or are support staff from the Fire Service of Scotland shall be eligible and entitled to enjoy the benefits arising from membership"  - these benefits being many.

Being a retired employee of Strathclyde Fire & Rescue entitles you to free membership of the Sports Sections of the FSSAA and we will be working with the FSSAA to promote each other and the services we offer to all our membership. The Sports Sections now operating are in the attached letter, with new ones such as Hillwalking and Badminton still to be set up. REA members who have indicated they would like to join these two new Sections will be contacted by letter shortly.

These Sports Sections are suitable for the NOVICE members as well as experienced players, so please feel free to join and learn a new sport - we can't all be world beaters  - and the FSSAA are very keen to promote novice members and help them along in their chosen sport.

As you will see, some of the Sports Secretaries are already retired and it's their own personal phone numbers which are listed. However, some are also still operational and it is the phone number of their station which is listed.

In the meantime, please contact the named Secretary of your chosen sport to register your interest and join the Section.

Even if you have not chosen a sport but would like to now, please feel free to contact the Secretary and join in. Each Section welcomes new blood and new members can contribute new ideas to help make the Sections even more successful.

Part of the reason the REA was set up was to bring old colleagues back into contact with each other - that certainly won't happen if you just stay in your house and ignore what is being offered. Join in and meet old friends or make new ones.

Should you have any queries or concerns - contact Malcy Ward on 01236 761 742 or Joe  on 0141 849 7130.