Junior joy at lottery funding
Friday 1 November 2002
Tayside Sports Development Group (TSDG) is celebrating its sixth successful year of funding from the sportscotland Lottery Fund's Junior Groups Programme with an award of nearly £75,000. The programme provides talented young athletes a comprehensive training and competition programme to progress up to senior, national and ultimately, international level.
"Sport is also a great way for people to meet and socialise as well as keeping fit."
TSDG is responsible for the management and development of the regional performance programme within nine sports - athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, girl's football, hockey, rugby, swimming and tennis. Each programme is led by a development group of local volunteers, coaches and funding partners whom co-ordinate and deliver the programme to over 320 athletes across Tayside.
TSDG is a regional sports partnership between Angus, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross Councils, sportscotland and nine national governing bodies of sport, received a £74,953 award to support its IMPACT Enhanced Programme. This funding will provide opportunities to help athletes aged between 11 and 18 progress from district to national level through a coaching pathway, which concentrates on training, coaching, competitions and sport science.
Councillor Farquhar, Chairman of TSDG, said: "We are delighted that sportscotland are supporting our regional performance programme which is an integral part of developing a player pathway within our targeted sports across Tayside. This funding will allow hundreds of young talented athletes the opportunity to reach their full potential."
Renfrewshire Council is also celebrating an award of £20,983 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund Junior Groups Programme. Supporting three sports athletics, swimming and netball the award will focus on training, competition and sport science.
Bob Smith, Sports Development Manager at Renfewshire Council, said: "The award from sportscotland is great news for improving the health of locals through physical activity. It will give more young people the opportunity to participate in sport through a structured pathway which will hopefully lead to excellence in the future."
Alastair Dempster, Chairman of sportscotland, said: "The Junior Groups programme is vital to national and regional groups as it financially supports talented young athletes and enables them to progress forward in their training so they may reach their full potential.
"Sport is also a great way for people to meet and socialise as well as keeping fit. One of sportscotland's visions is to encourage children to participate in sporting activities at a young age, in order for it to become part of their lifestyle as adults, so we have a healthier Scotland for the future."
- Junior Groups Programme provides support to groups of talented young people participating in a co-ordinated programme of coaching and competitive events over a minimum period of six months.
- Those eligible to apply for support are governing bodies of sports through the National Programme and local authorities through the Regional Programme.
- Applications for the following costs are considered for funding: facility hire, coaching fees, accommodation, travel equipment and competition entry fees.