BASKETBALL club Stirling Knights is partnering up with the local authority.

Thanks to new financial support from the council, the Knights are now sporting a new kit with the branding 'Stirling: Alive with Sport'.

They are also receiving help with marketing and social media – furthermore – Stirling Council staff are being encouraged to get involved and volunteer at the club, which has been going from strength to strength over the years since launching in 2009.

More than 500 boys and girls between the ages of eight and 18 are now involved in a range of teams alongside the adults in the senior teams.

Pete Duncan, Stirling Knights chairman, said: “It’s a tremendous boost to the club to receive this support from Stirling Council and we are delighted to display the ‘Stirling: Alive with Sport’ branding on our kit.

“As Stirling’s only National League basketball club we have grown rapidly over the last five years, producing many international players from across our nine teams.

“We currently have a strong U12 section and our next step is to make sure we work with Stirling Council and Active Stirling to ensure that these young players have great opportunities to achieve in the sport of basketball.”

Cllr Chris Kane, convener of Community Planning and Regeneration, added: “I am delighted that Stirling Council is supporting the youth programme provided by Stirling Knights and the positive work it does in the local community.

“The work by the Knights team is a fantastic example of how local groups are improving the health and wellbeing of our young people. Their teams allow members to build their confidence and team spirit from a young age right into adulthood.

“Our young people are also making solid connections to their local sporting community. With the progress already made by Stirling Knights over the past seven years, I am looking forward to seeing what they achieve in the future with our Alive with Sport support.”