Clubs, communities, and leisure trusts across Scotland have received a great start to the new year thanks to more than £1.25million in investment from sportscotland’s Sport Facilities Fund.
Projects from Dumfries and Galloway to the Highlands will benefit from the funding, which is made possible thanks to National Lottery players, who raise £30million each week for good causes across the UK.
Positive change
Priority was given to projects with a focus on increasing participation in sport and physical activity amongst young people, women and girls, disabled people, as well as deprived or rural communities.
Mairi Gougeon, Minister for Public Health and Sport, was keen to stress the wider benefits for communities from this funding. She said: "This latest investment from sportscotland’s Sport Facilities Fund will make a real difference to people across Scotland. We know that being active brings about positive changes beyond participation and can impact positively on people in communities in creating new relationships and being better connected.
“This fund supports projects that seek to create or improve the places where people take part in sport and physical activity.
"This will enable communities to provide more opportunities for participation by removing barriers and increasing access to sport for all.”
Improving lives
In total, £1,264,750 will be shared between 15 projects across Scotland for clubs and communities, schools and education establishments, or performance sport environments.
Stewart Harris, sportscotland chief executive, was keen to thank the National Lottery players for their contribution. He said: “The projects receiving funding today demonstrate real ambition and commitment to improving the lives of their communities through sport and physical activity. I am delighted that we can support their work through this investment.
“It’s important to recognise that without National Lottery players this level of investment simply would not be possible.
"We must say a huge thank you to everyone who has bought a National Lottery ticket. Their contribution means that we are able to help clubs and communities achieve their aim of creating the right facilities to develop sport and physical activity in their local area.”
A helping hand
Projects could apply to sportscotland’s Sport Facilities Fund for awards of up to £100,000 for capital projects designed to create or improve the places where people take part in sport and physical activity.
Throughout the application process, applicants were also offered guidance and expertise from sportscotland’s facilities team to make the most of the available investment.
Since April 2007, sportscotland has invested over £192million of Scottish Government and National Lottery funding to help sports clubs, community groups, local authorities, sport’s governing bodies and other organisations deliver new and upgraded sporting facilities across the country.
Funded projects
- Methlick Community Council (Aberdeenshire) £25,000
- New single court multi-use games area
- Monifieth Athletic Football Club (Angus) £98,000
- New 3G synthetic grass training pitch
- Mid Argyll Community Enterprise Limited (Argyll & Bute) £100,000
- Swimming pool changing redevelopment
- Argyll & Bute Council (Argyll & Bute) £100,000
- Helensburgh Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre redevelopment
- City of Edinburgh Gymnastics Club (City of Edinburgh) £100,000
- New training facility
- Edinburgh Leisure (City of Edinburgh) £41,750
- Edinburgh International Climbing Arena new slab wall
- All roads lead to Whithorn (Dumfries & Galloway) £100,000
- Re-development of village hall to create a multi-activity community hub
- Raydale Community Sports Hub (Dumfries & Galloway) £100,000
- New 3G synthetic grass pitch at Raydale Stadium
- Musselburgh Rugby Club (East Lothian) £50,000
- Gym and changing room
- Cairneyhill Community Sport Hub (Fife) £75,000
- New three court multi-use games area
- Hillwood Community Trust (Glasgow) £100,000
- New pavilion
- Govanhill Baths Building Preservation Trust (Glasgow) £100,000
- New wellbeing centre
- Helmsdale & District Development Trust (Highland) £75,000
- New multi-use games area
- Elgin Sports Community Trust (Moray) £100,000
- New 3G synthetic grass pitch
- Garnock New Visitor and Community Hub (North Ayrshire) £100,000
- New visitor and community Hub
Find out more
The deadline for submission of applications for the next round of the Sport Facilities Fund is 1 April 2021. Find out if your project could be eligible here
