Area Institutes receive Lottery funding to develop local athlete support
Thursday 31 August 2000
sportscotland today announced £1.2m of Lottery Fund support over the next four years to enable the establishment and operation of the Area Institute of Sport network, aimed at supporting our top Scots performers and nurturing local youngsters coming through.
The network of six Area Institutes: Highland; West of Scotland; East of Scotland; Central Scotland; Grampian and Tayside & Fife; will be responsible for helping to develop the best coaches and emerging young athletes in their area in addition to providing locally-based support services to the nation's very best athletes who are part of the Scottish Institute of Sport set-up.
The announcement heralds the first phase of establishing the area institutes which will enable the six Area Managers to oversee the co-ordination and day-to-day operation of Institute services in their geographical region. The majority of these area managers are now in post with the remainder soon to be appointed.
Ian Robson, new Chief Executive of sportscotland, said, "If we are to improve Scotland's chances of producing more truly world class athletes we need to ensure that the services and support mechanisms are in place to make that happen.
"These mechanisms not only need to be directed to those at the very top who are already succeeding, but also need to nurture those breaking through to ensure we are preparing the next generation for success.
"The Area Institute network will have a vital role in both these functions and their establishment represents a further piece of the infrastructure jigsaw that Scotland is leading the way in setting up."
Anne Marie Harrison, Executive Director of the Scottish Institute of Sport, comments, "Our job at the Scottish Institute of Sport is to help make our best athletes even better and the Area Institutes will be at the sharp end, co-ordinating the delivery of many of the specialist services to the top athletes based in their area.
"Our role is to ensure our athletes have access to the best technical, scientific and personal support services currently available, regardless of where they are based. Through the Area Institutes we will have a mechanism to deliver this."
The Scottish Institute of Sport currently provides support and services to around 143 of Scotland's top performers including many of Scotland’s members of British teams going to the Sydney Olympics and Paralympics. They include 1999 judo world champion, Graeme Randall (Edinburgh), triathlete Stephanie Forrester (Aberdeen), GB Hockey Team captain, Pauline Stott (Dundee), and top 50m freestyle swimmer Alison Sheppard (Glasgow).
- sportscotland has agreed in principle to make available up to £100,000 per Area Institute per year over four years. This first phase funding will be matched by each area institute. Each area institute comprises a consortia of organisations which may include local authorities, higher and further education establishments, health boards, local enterprise companies and others.
- The seven core sports in the initial phase of the Scottish Institute of Sport are: athletics, badminton, curling, football, hockey, rugby and swimming. In addition, the very top Scots performers from other sports have been identified and are being invited to be part of the Institute and its programmes.
- The Scottish Institute of Sport is part of the UK Sports Institute which consists of a network of centres throughout the UK ensuring Scottish athletes have access to the very best support wherever they are based. The Scottish Institute of Sport is funded by sportscotland Lottery Fund.
- Scottish Institute of Sport athletes have so far been announced in the sports of athletics, badminton, curling, cycling, hockey, judo, fencing, rugby, swimming and triathlon.