Friday 22 October 1999

sportscotland continued its drive to get young people more active, with the announcement today of the latest 30 schools to receive funding support for a dedicated School Sport Co-ordinator.

sportscotland Lottery Fund has made awards totalling over £278,000 to enable Co-ordinators to be put in place in 16 schools in Fife, one in South Lanarkshire and 13 throughout Aberdeenshire and Falkirk.

Each School Sport Co-ordinator will be responsible for managing and implementing a programme of extra-curricular sport for pupils, with particular emphasis on building links with local community groups and clubs.  This will involve working with pupils and local community leaders and organising development and education programmes for teachers and coaches.

It is hoped that this inclusive approach will encourage young people to pursue interest in sport beyond the classroom, by presenting a wide and varied range of activities and by creating and maintaining links between school sport and the sport offered in the various clubs and sports facilities throughout the country.

Fife Council’s Education Chair, Councillor Helen Law, who is also a member of the West Fife Sports Council, is delighted at this announcement.  She added:  “We warmly welcome this joint initiative between ourselves and sportscotland and look forward to seeing greater co-ordination of sporting activities between our schools and our communities.”

Alastair Dempster, Chairman of sportscotland, said:  “Creating the opportunities for our young people to be more active is one of the most important factors in creating a healthier population.  The problem is that once the bell goes at the end of the day, or once they leave school altogether, participation drops dramatically.

“The aim of School Sports Co-ordinators Programme is to extend sport beyond the classroom and into the community.  Co-ordinators have a unique opportunity, not only to increase participation levels among young people in school time, but to ensure that participation in sport becomes an integral part of their free time too.

“The clubs win by generating more members and the children win with a social and healthy way to spend part of their evenings or weekends.”

“The structure also provides the opportunity for parents, coaches and other local leaders to become involved in the programme, making the initiative truly community based.”

School Sport Co-ordinators pilot projects began in several Scottish Schools and proved successful.  The Lottery Fund awards programme began to operate in April 1999 and will run for four years in the first instance.
Individual schools or local authorities can apply under the programme and awards cover up to 50% of the cost of employing a School Sport Co-ordinator for one day a week.
A full list of this month’s School Sport Co-ordinator awards is attached.

Fife Council

Lottery Fund award:  £150,400

Aberdeenshire Council

Lottery Fund award:  £50,000

Falkirk Council

Lottery Fund award:  £66,000

Individual School Applications:

Two schools in Falkirk will receive funding this year, however, further schools will be added over four years as follows: Two in year two, two in year three and three in year four.