Two cycling clubs in Dunfermline have been backed to take their development to the next level after a major funding boost.
Dunfermline Cycling Club and Carnegie Cyclones have secured over £30,000 investment from Direct Club Investment to help with the appointment of club coaches and diversifying club memberships.
Scott Hutchinson, chairperson at Dunfermline Cycling Club, said: “Thanks to sportscotland’s Direct Club Investment we can now deliver our programme, which will help make club cycling more accessible to all and encourage participation, be it recreational or competitive.
"Working in close partnership with the Carnegie Cyclones, this funding will really allow both clubs to take our coaching to the next level, providing a clear development pathway for cyclists of all ages. We’re very excited about the future of cycling in Fife and are very grateful to sportscotland, Scottish Cycling and Fife Council for their support throughout.”
Shifting gear
The National Lottery-funded programme allows the clubs to contract new coaches for 10 hours per week and will develop and deliver new school, community and club sessions, new term-time sessions and holiday programmes and new women and girls sessions.
The clubs are aiming to work in partnership to maximise the use of Fife Cycle Park and target a wider audience to include women and girls. Fife Council and Scottish Cycling will be integral to the roll-out of these new sessions which will focus on creating a sporting pathway in the area. The clubs will focus on reducing barriers to club-level participation by working directly with local community groups and organisations, in particular with Active Schools to support budding young cyclists to join the Cyclones and progress to Dunfermline Cycling Club if they wish.
The investment will also be used to improve the quality and quantity of volunteer coaches, including increasing the female coaching team to inspire the next generation of female cycling champions, as well as signposting individuals who are interested in becoming coaches and helping them with the process.
Craig Burn, CEO of Scottish Cycling, said: “Scottish Cycling is delighted by the news that Dunfermline Cycling Club and Carnegie Cyclones Club have received funds from the Direct Club Investment scheme. The clubs have put a huge amount of work into securing this investment with the ambition of providing long-term, sustainable cycling opportunities for all.
"Our recent success at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games is sure to inspire many to get on their bikes, and with fantastic facilities like Fife Cycle Park and engaged, skilled volunteers, these clubs are sure to thrive.”
Stewart Harris, sportscotland chief executive, said: “We are delighted to be investing in Dunfermline Cycling Club and Carnegie Cyclones Club as part of our Direct Club Investment scheme. The clubs will help support the cycling community in the area for years to come and provide opportunities to cycle for all ages and abilities.
“Cycling is in a great place at the moment in Scotland and Scottish Cycling continue to do great work to encourage more people to take up the sport.”
Find out more
Direct Club Investment is sportscotland’s large-scale club development project which distributes National Lottery funds directly to clubs. In 2013, sportscotland announced that a £10million funding stream would be made available to clubs across Scotland looking to develop and meet expanding capacity.
Alongside providing DCI investment, sportscotland created regional development posts to directly support local sport clubs. This joined-up approach is reaping rewards, improving the quality of school to club to performance pathways and enabling Scottish Governing Bodies of sport to work more closely with their member clubs, and with local partners, to improve the opportunities for clubs to flourish.
Discover more about club sport in Scotland at the sportscotland website.
Check out the Scottish Cycling website to see what is going on across the sport.
