In her first official engagement as the new sportscotland Chair, Louise Martin CBE teamed up with Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell to announce an investment of £781,904 for sports facilities that will benefit communities across Scotland, including the world-renowned mountain bike facilities at Fort William.
This is the biggest week of the year for mountain biking in Scotland, when world class riders will return to Fort William for the seventh successive year. The current downhill course has an enviable reputation, but often proves too difficult for the majority of keen mountain bikers. The existing track will now be complemented by a 2.8km intermediate downhill track, thanks to a £67,000 investment from sportscotland. The new track will be more suited to recreational mountain bikers and those wishing to develop their skills for competition downhill biking, before progressing onto the more advanced track.
Mountain biking is an exciting and growing sport in Scotland which attracts riders of all ages. It is crucial that there is a network of good quality tracks and facilities across Scotland to ensure riders from general participation to excellence level are catered for and the new track being developed at Fort William will go a long way to achieving this. In addition, the tracks at Fort William are unique as they are the only specialist mountain bike tracks in Britain that are served by a ski lift making them easily accessible.
Sport Minister Stewart Maxwell said: “This substantial investment in Scottish sport will help support the development of quality facilities, at all levels, throughout the country.
“Projects from Shetland to Dumfries will benefit from a share of almost £800,000 from sportscotland’s Building for Sport programme. This will increase opportunities for people in these areas, and neighbouring communities, to access good local facilities which will help them improve their health and wellbeing by staying active.”
Anna Trafford, Project Director, Outdoor Capital of the UK Ltd said: “The award of the grant is great news and will enable recreational cyclists to take their riding to the next level, and to ride a downhill course at the home of the World Cup and World Championships. Facilities like this are vital if Scotland is to keep on producing champions like Ruraidh Cunningham (Junior Downhill World Champion). The community in Lochaber has been instrumental in putting this application together and our thanks go to Nevis Range, our local cycling club - the West Highland Wheelers, the Forestry Commission and Highlands and Islands Enterprise for their hard work in making this application successful. We can’t wait until it’s built so we can get out and have a go!”
The £781,904 investment, of which £199,003 is sportscotland Lottery funding, will also see a further seven sports projects in South Lanarkshire, Kirriemuir, Falkirk, Bridge of Weir, Shetland, Dumfries and Gullane benefiting.
These projects are: £250,000 to Angus Council to provide a new synthetic pitch at Webster’s High School/Community Sports Centre in Kirriemuir; £200,000 to Falkirk Rugby Football Club to provide two new additional full-size rugby pitches and new synthetic grass training area; in Gullane Muirfield Riding for the Disabled will benefit from £30,000 to extend their indoor riding arena; £25,000 to Ranfurly Castle Golf Club Ltd to assist with the creation of a new six-hole junior golf course; Dumfries Rugby Club is set to receive £140,835 to develop and extend their changing facilities; £58,168 to Forth Community Football Club in Forth, South Lanarkshire to assist with the upgrade of an existing blaes pitch to 3G synthetic grass; and Shetland Golf Association will benefit from £10,901 to provide new junior golf facilities at Shetland and Whalsay Golf Clubs.
Louise Martin CBE, Chair, sportscotland said: “I am delighted to see sportscotland investing £781,904 from the Building for Sport programme in such an exciting range of projects. This demonstrates our commitment to providing communities with quality, accessible facilities that meet local priorities, which is vital if sport is to thrive in Scotland.
“The investment in the new intermediate mountain bike track at Nevis Range will undoubtedly attract an increased number of mountain bikers of all ages to the area reinforcing Fort William and Lochaber as a hub for outdoor sports in Scotland.”
- Launched in March 2004, the Building for Sport Programme (BfS) is divided into two strands: Community Facilities and Training and Competition Facilities.
- Applications for the Community Facilities Programme covers the provision or upgrading of facilities for the local community.
- The Training and Competition Facilities Programme concentrates on the provision or upgrading of centres designated as a national or regional facility by the relevant national governing body for sport.
- Photographs from the announcement are available free of charge from Steve Lindridge at Ideal Images on 07718 919597.
sportscotland Building for Sport Programme – June 2008
Community Facilities Strand
Applicant: Outdoor Capital of the UK Ltd/West Highland Wheelers
Project Title: Intermediate Downhill Cycling Track
Award: £67,000
Contact for Press: Anna Trafford, Project Director, Outdoor Capital of the UK Ltd
Tel: 01397 705765
Construction of a second downhill track (2.8km long).
Applicant: Angus Council
Project Title: Webster’s High School/Community Sports Centre
Award: £250,000
Contact for Press: Alastair Wilson, Senior Services Manager, Angus Council
Tel: 01307 475360
To provide a 7-a-side floodlit fenced sand filled synthetic pitch, upgraded and new additional changing accommodation and extra car parking.
Applicant: Falkirk Rugby Football Club
Project Title: New pitches
Award: £200,000
Contact for Press: Alex McQuade, President, Falkirk Rugby Football Club
Tel: 01324 620064
Provision of two new additional full-size rugby pitches and new floodlit fenced 3G synthetic grass rugby training area.
Applicant: Muirfield Riding for the Disabled
Project Title: Muirfield RDA – Arena Extension
Award: £30,000
Contact for Press: Susan Law, Chair, Muirfield RDA Group
Tel: 01620 843288
Extension of existing indoor riding arena and facilities to create two training rooms, kitchen facilities, new office space, physio room, viewing gallery and toilets.
Applicant: Dumfries Rugby Club
Project Title: Renovation and extension of changing/showering facilities
Award: £140,835
Contact for Press: John Miller, President, Dumfries Rugby Club
Tel: 07860 416002
Develop and extend the changing and showering facilities including male and female toilets, referees room, fitness room and equipment store.
Applicant: Forth Community Football Club (Forth, South Lanarkshire)
Project Title: Forth All-weather Floodlit Football Facility
Award: £58,168
Contact for Press: John Whyte, Treasurer, Forth Community Football Club
Tel: 01555 811948
Upgrading of existing Council owned facility from floodlit, fenced red blaes pitch to 3rd generation artificial grass (50m x 36m), improved fencing and lighting.
Applicant: Shetland Golf Association
Project Title: Junior Golf Facilities Development
Award: £10,901
Contact for Press: Alan Harcus, Chair, Shetland Golf Association
Tel: 01806 243432
Junior golf facilities at Shetland Golf Club – chipping green, bunker area, practice area with mats, double practice netted area, 3-hole mini-course, clubgolf forward tees on 12 holes. Whalsay Golf Club – practice bunker, junior pratice area, 3-hole mini golf course.
Applicant: The Ranfurly Castle Golf Club Ltd (Bridge of Weir)
Project Title: Clevans Golf Course
Award: £25,000
Contact for Press: Don Bremner, Captain, Ranfurly Castle Golf Club Ltd
Tel: 01505 690145
Creation of 6-hole junior golf course comprising a mixture of par 3 and 4 holes.
Community Facilities Strand – eight awards totalling £781,904
