Levelling the Scottish sport playing field
Wednesday 23 August 2000
sportscotland continued to fulfil its commitment to 'levelling the playing field' with the announcement today that it is to invest £1.1 million in developing opportunities for sport in rural Scottish communities.
The support from sportscotland's Lottery Fund will help with the provision of new sports facilities as well as improvements on existing facilities in twelve communities across Scotland in areas including Orkney, Skye, Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh, Argyll and Bute and the Borders.
Among those projects to receive awards this month from the Fund's Sports Facilities Programme are:
- £23,300 to help Connel Millennium Sports Field Association in Connel, near Oban, to provide a grass playing field. At present the village has no similar sports facility and the new area will provide a focus for football, athletics, rounders, rugby and shinty.
- Boleskine Camanachd in Foyers, near Inverness, will use its award of £15,000 to extend, level and drain its existing shinty pitch to improve the standard of surface and provide more opportunities to play.
- Burray Community Association in Orkney will extend the existing community hall with its award of £37,650 to provide showers and extra storage space, as well as developing the adjacent sports park to provide a multi-court facility.
- Argyll and Bute Council will use its award of £132,385 to provide a multi-purpose synthetic grass area at Ash Park Stadium in Dunoon.
- Stow Parish Trust's award of £37,075 will provide the local primary school with a floodlit all-weather court, which will be used by both schoolchildren and local community groups.
Ian Robson, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said: "At sportscotland we believe in trying to remove potential barriers to ensure everyone has the opportunity to experience the benefits of an active lifestyle, regardless of who they are or where they live.
"Remote communities can face particular problems in accessing proper facilities which is why at sportscotland we believe it is important to give priority to projects on islands or isolated rural areas.
"Today's announcement underlines that commitment."
- A list of this month's Sports Facilities Programme awards is below.
- In addition to funding sports facilities, sportscotland also invests Lottery money in coaching, top athletes, major events and youth sport.
- Since the beginning of the National Lottery, sportscotland has awarded over £106 million to the development of sport in Scotland.
sportscotland Lottery Fund Sports Facilities Awards
August 2000
Local Facilities
Orkney Islands Council
Project: Provision of a new full-size bowling green to be run in partnership with Orkney Islands Council and Brandyquoy Park Bowling Club.
Location: Orkney
Lottery Award: £100,800
Ellon and District Squash Racquets Club
Project: The club will be relocated next to the Meadows Sports Centre and two modern glass backed courts will be constructed. The relocation will give the Club support from the Meadow’s Sports Centre's existing facilities.
Location: Ellon, Aberdeenshire
Lottery Award: £44,650
Connel Millennium Sports Field Association
Project: Provision of a grass playing field and car parking area, for use by the Connel community, primary schools and other nearby villages. The village currently has no playing field and the new pitch will provide a safe area for children to participate in sports such as football, rounders, rugby, shinty and athletics.
Location: Connel, near Oban
Lottery Award: £23,300
Boleskine Camanachd
Project: The existing shinty pitch will be levelled, drained and extended to form a full size pitch, to upgrade the standard of facilities to the level of other local shinty clubs.
Location: Foyers, near Inverness
Lottery Award: £15,000
83rd Fife Scout Group
Project: Provision of a small climbing wall and other indoor sports equipment for use by scouts and by the local community, including the local school.
Location: Cairneyhill, Fife
Lottery Award: £4,274
School/Community
Dumfries and Galloway Council
Project: Completion of phase two of the conversion of Douglas Ewart High School to Merrick Leisure Complex, a dual school and community use sports centre Phase two will include a new exercise studio, a fitness suite and upgrade of the fabric and floor of the hall.
Location: Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway
Lottery Award: £500,000
Carlton Cricket Club Ltd
Project: To provide a modern changing pavilion/clubhouse for use by club and community as well as for junior cricket development.
Location: Balerno, Edinburgh
Lottery Award: £138,000
Argyll and Bute Council
Project: A multipurpose synthetic grass area will be provided with this award, catering for sports including 5-a-side football, tennis, hockey, rugby and shinty. The 4-court area will be floodlit and will be available for school and community use.
Location: Ash Park Stadium, Dunoon
Lottery Award: £132,385
Portree Tennis and Squash Club
Project: Relocation of club to next to Skye Camanchd, with access to the shinty club facilities, helping to centralise sports provision in this area. Two new glass backed squash courts will be provided with changing facilities, viewing area and lounge.
Location: Portree, Skye
Lottery Award: £90,527
Burray Community Association
Project: Extension of the existing community sports hall to provide showers and extra storage space, as well as developing the adjacent sports park, providing a multi-court facility and toilets. The facilities will be used by the local school as well as being available for use by all members of this small island community.
Location: Burray, Orkney
Lottery Award: £37,650
Stow Parish Trust
Project: Floodlit all-weather multi-court, situated next to the local primary school. There are no similar facilities nearby, and the new court will mean that the local schoolchildren and other local community groups will be able to take part in a range of sports throughout the year.
Location: Stow, Borders
Lottery Award: £37,075
Argyll and Bute Council
Project: Provision of a floodlit synthetic pitch which will be available for use in all weathers. Located at the local primary school, the facility will be used by the school and by the local community.
Location: Benderloch, by Oban
Lottery Award: £32,500