Robbie Stewart and Sports Minister Joe Fitzpatrick with skaters from Ice Dundee

Investing in clubs

£250,000 boost for nine clubs through Direct Club Investment

Nine Scottish sports clubs are set to share over £250,000 of National Lottery funding in the latest round of sportscotland’s Direct Club Investment (DCI).

Sports Minister Joe FitzPatrick MSP announced that clubs will receive between £9,800 and £40,000 to support their ambitious development plans with basketball, beach volleyball, cricket, cycling, football, gymnastics, ice skating, swimming and volleyball clubs all now able to deliver more opportunities thanks to the DCI support. 

Commenting on the investment, Joe FitzPatrick, MSP, said: "I am delighted to announce the latest round of Direct Club Investment with sportscotland.

"DCI is targeted at supporting clubs who have a clear vision of how they can make a positive impact on their local communities by delivering more and better opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity. 

"The clubs receiving funding today have already demonstrated their commitment to providing access to sport for people of all ages and abilities and I look forward to seeing the impact their projects will have in the next few years. 

Beach volleyball

"We want to ensure that everyone, no matter what their background or ability, has the same opportunities to experience the benefits of regular physical activity and clubs and communities have a key role to play in our approach to getting Scotland active."

Priorities

Direct Club Investment is a key component of sportscotland’s commitment towards club development, the programme prioritises engaging the inactive and underrepresented in sport, including girls and young women, people with a disability and people living in Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities. 

sportscotland lead manager Robbie Stewart said: "At sportscotland we are implementing a world-class sporting system at every level in Scotland with the ambition of changing lives in local communities. DCI has a part to play in that, but we can only do so with the support of the many dedicated coaches, officials and volunteers who make sport happen right across the country."

World-class development

While most of the clubs supported through DCI have focused on growing their sport at grassroots level, for one, the priority is to support talented athletes and develop a world-class training centre here in Scotland.

Sports Minister at Dundee Ice Arena

Ice Dundee have already delivered success at a national level, including eight ladies GB champions in a row. However, the £30,000 DCI funding will enable the club to develop a more integrated performance programme, giving the athletes the expertise and coaching they need to consistently deliver at the top level.

They hope this will inspire other aspiring skaters to base themselves in Dundee, to grow the sport and establish a recognised centre of excellence for athletes from across the UK. 

Ice Dundee Coach, Simon Briggs, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be awarded this funding from sportscotland. This will help us build a stronger infrastructure to support the growth and development of our extremely talented young athletes.

"The backing and advice that we have been receiving from the sportscotland team has been excellent. We see this as partnership that will deliver value for our skaters well beyond the financial elements."

"We are looking forward to working even more closely with sportscotland to help our skaters fulfil their Olympic dreams."

Since its introduction in 2013, sportscotland has invested £3.89million in DCI which has in turn leveraged nearly £5m of investment from the clubs and £2.1m from partners across Scotland. With the addition of the nine clubs announced today, 162 projects have now been supported by DCI.

 

Clubs receiving DCI in this round 

Edinburgh Beach Volleyball Club

Investment from sportscotland: £28,000 (over four years)

To employ a part-time participation and pathways coordinator (PPC) and two part-time coaches to coordinate and deliver a structured development and competition pathway and an inclusive and accessible participation programme of beach volleyball and sand-based fitness (BEachACTIVE), catering for people of all ages and abilities from the local community.

City of Edinburgh Volleyball Club

Investment from sportscotland: £40,000 (over four years)

To employ a part-time club development officer (CDO) for 10 hours per week to build a holistic programme of competitions, events, and workshops in health, nutrition, fit-for-girls, strength and conditioning, lifestyle and study support, and social activities to engage and retain 100 girls and maximise their participation as athletes and leaders in volleyball and beach volleyball.

Edinburgh South Cricket Club

Investment from sportscotland: £9,800 (over three years)

ESCC women's cricket won the premier league title in 2018 and has a number of girls with great potential. The club now plans to launch a performance programme with two paid Level 3 coaches for 12 talented girls and women within the club with representative aspirations.

West Lothian Artistic Gymnastics Club

Investment from sportscotland: £40,000 (over four years)

To employ a club manager (38 hours per week) to lead and undertake overall responsibility for forward planning, promotion, financial management, day-to-day administration and operations of the club and facility. They will also support the club’s aspirations to have a centre of excellence for men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics.

Dundee Madsons Basketball Club

Investment from sportscotland: £16,000 (over four years)

Twenty hours per week community coach to grow club membership from 147 to 280 by end of year four. To treble female membership by end of year four. To provide new opportunities to those in the top two SIMD deciles in Dundee's Strathmartine community, and 20% transition from school activities into club membership.

Dundee West Football Club

Investment from sportscotland: £30,000 (over four years)

To employ a part-time coach for 20 hours per week (over a four year plan) to create new girls teams (children, youth), plus female and male active groups (adult), and to increase growth in para football teams (including respite outcomes). Through these three projects the club aims to address inequality, getting people more active with a focus on female participation, young people with a disability and older people within the community. The coach will link with established partners in the community which have been developed over the last six years. DW has a business plan which is key to supporting this project taking on a two-year management and usage of a school facility, and the development of further facilities at Charlotte Street.

Ice Dundee

Investment from sportscotland: £30,000 (over two years)

To build Ice Dundee into a centre for the development of elite skaters and elite coaches.  To put in place the infrastructure and relationships with local support (i.e. physios, psychologists etc.) to build a centre to attract skaters and coaches.

West Dunbartonshire Amateur Swimming Club

Investment from sportscotland: £30,000 (over four years)

To employ a development coach for 20 hours per week on an initial 50/50 coaching and development basis, leading to 100% coaching role by year five. Will work with the head coach to increase membership and participation across all aquatic offerings ensuring the project is self-sufficient within five years.

Glasgow Riderz

Investment from sportscotland: £26,500 (over four years)

To employ a Head Coach for 10 hours/week (520 hours/year) to deliver coach recruitment and development supporting the continued broadening and growth of the membership base, and the establishment of a truly multi-discipline club allowing young people to experience all forms of cycling.

Find out more

Everything you need to know about Direct Club Investment can be found on the sportscotland website.

 

 

 

 

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