£200M Lottery landmark for Scottish sport
Thursday 7 August 2003
sportscotland Lottery Fund is pleased to announce the latest round of sports facilities awards which brings the total Lottery investment in Scottish sport to a landmark figure of £200m. In recognition of this, the First Minister Jack McConnell MSP will visit Annan near Dumfries today to make the official announcement and see how Lottery support will benefit sporting facilities for the local community.
Since the first round of awards in March 1995, the sportscotland Lottery Fund has made over 6,000 awards across all its Lottery programmes. Today’s announcement of 17 awards totalling £4,376,655 is a further example of sportscotland’s commitment to improving the quality and accessibility of sports facilities for communities across Scotland.
As part of his summer tour, the First Minister is visiting Annan Swimming Pool, one of the successful recipients, to see how the sportscotland Lottery Fund’s support of £331,573 from the Swimming Pool Upgrade Strand will be utilised. The award will enable the dated facility to be completely modernised. The changing and reception areas will receive essential refurbishment, disabled access will be enhanced as well as work to upgrade the pool plant, which will improve the water quality, environmental conditions and reduce running costs.
The pool is currently used by the local community and has close links with the primary and secondary schools providing swimming lessons, lifesaving skills, canoeing and is a recognised Royal Life Saving Society centre for lifeguard qualifications. Once completed, the facility will be a boost to the area enabling people to enjoy physical activity in an improved environment.
Ernie Turpie, Chairman of Annandale and Eskdale Sports and Leisure Trust, said: “The Annandale and Eskdale Leisure Trust are delighted to be working in partnership with the sportscotland Lottery Fund on such a vital and community based development.
“The contribution from the sportscotland Lottery Fund will help make the refurbishment of the Annan Swimming Pool a reality bringing the facility up to a modern standard and helping the Trust to achieve its mission of ‘Striving for Quality in Community Leisure.’
“The Annan swimming pool is a vitally important community resource for all ages and abilities and its ongoing success and development can only be great news for its users.”
Another local beneficiary of this round of awards are the Dumfries YMCA and St Michael’s Cricket Club. The Lottery Fund award of £174,018 from the Local Facilities Strand will support the building of a four-team changing pavilion with viewing gallery and a meeting/activity room for aerobic and cardio-vascular training at Kingholm Park. The playing field has several football and cricket pitches used by local teams, however the current small two team changing room restricts full usage of the facility. The new pavilion will improve the sporting amenities in the area and enable more people to participate at one time.
Alastair Dempster, Chairman of sportscotland, said: “Through funding from the National Lottery, sportscotland has been able to invest this significant sum of £200m into Scottish sport. It has enabled us to build new and improve existing sports facilities across the country; support our elite athletes through grants, the employment of national coaches and the work of the Scottish Institute of Sport; as well as encourage participation in sport, particularly in schools through our current and future Active Schools programmes.
“ Lottery income has been falling over the last few years reducing the money we have to spend on sport. I would urge the public to continue to buy their lottery tickets to ensure we can achieve our vision of making Scotland a country where sport is more widely available to all.
“ Today’s announcement of £4,376,655 further emphasises sportscotland’s commitment to create a national network of good quality sports facilities accessible to everyone regardless of age or social background as outlined in Sport 21 – the national strategy for sport.”
sportscotland Lottery Fund Sports Facilities Awards August 2003
Swimming Pool Upgrade Strand
Annandale and Eskdale Sports and Leisure Trust, Annan, Dumfries and Galloway
Project Title Annan Swimming Pool Refurbishment
Award £331,573
To provide essential refurbishment of the swimming pool facilities including changing and reception areas, disabled access, and upgrade of plant, pool tank and pool hall.
East Dunbartonshire Council, Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire
Project Title Leisuredrome Swimming Pool Plant Upgrade
Award £174, 790
Project to replace the pool plant to improve water quality.
North Lanarkshire Council, North Lanarkshire
Project Title Upgrade of Tryst Sports Centre Swimming Pool
Award £675, 890
Upgrade of swimming pool to include: new boiler and filtration plant, new roof and ceiling, improved disabled access, unified changing village, replacement boom, improved environment and retiling of tank and surrounds.
Midlothian Council, Penicuik High School, Penicuik, Midlothian
Project Title Penicuik Pool, Sports Complex
Award £700,000
To construct a 25m six lane competition standard swimming pool, health suite, changing village, separate school/team changing rooms, storage area, ancillary accommodation, fitness suite with cardiovascular and resistance training.
Argyll and Bute Council, Lochgilphead, Argyll and Bute
Project Title Campbeltown Community Project
Award £700,000
To build a 25m swimming pool, gym, health suite, meeting rooms, crèche, sailor’s showering and changing accommodation, café and meeting area.
5 awards totalling: £2,582,253.00
Regional Facilities Strand
Shetland Recreational Trust, Clickimin Leisure Complex, Lerwick, Shetland Isles
Project Title Provision of New Athletics Facilities
Award £256,331
Provision of new athletics field event facilities at an existing athletics track, floodlighting, security fencing and sports equipment storage.
1 award totalling: £256,331
School/Community Facilities Strand
Fife Council, Property Services, Forth House, Kirkcaldy, Fife
Project Title Refurbishment of Kirkcaldy High School Changing Facilities
Award £18,575
Upgrading of changing facilities, showers and provision to enable users of the outdoor all-weather playing pitch to utilise the area.
The Highland Council, Inverlochy, Fort William, Highland
Project Title Mallaig High School All-Weather Playing Field
Award £127,342
To upgrade the existing synthetic grass pitch extending the range of sports playable at the school.
2 awards totalling: £145,917
Local Facilities Strand
Dumfries YMCA, Mount St Michael, Craigs Road, Dumfries and Galloway
Project Title Kingholm Park YMCA Leisure Development
Award £174,018
Provision of a purpose-built four team changing pavilion with viewing gallery and activity/meeting room for aerobic and cardiovascular use.
Kilwinning Sports Club, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
Project Title Kilwinning Community FC Pennyburn Phase 1
Award £200,000
To build one grass pitch, four new synthetic five-a-side courts with floodlighting, additional car parking and ancillary works.
Kelso Orchard Tennis Club, Poynder Place, Kelso, Scottish Borders
Project Title Kelso Tennis Facilities
Award £116, 685
To build three floodlit all-weather courts, two changing rooms and small meeting room.
Border Group Riding for the Disabled
Project Title Arena Surface
Award £9,200
To upgrade the existing arena sand surface to cushion track a purpose designed equestrian arena surface.
Shetland Recreational Trust, Clickimin Centre, Lerwick, Shetland Isles
Project Title Provision of New Squash Courts
Award £200,000
To build a three court squash facility constructed with moveable internal back and side walls to facilitate flexible use of total areas including provision of changing and toilet facilities.
Clackmannan County Cricket Club, Clackmannanshire
Project Title Ground Improvement
Award £43,924
To construct a new enhanced ground improvement system for the cricket field.
Loch Lomond Amateur Rowing Club, Balloch, West Dunbartonshire
Project Title Purchase of New Rowing Equipment and Safety Launch
Award £9,327
To provide eight rowing boats, coxed quadruple scull, double scull, single scull, safety launch package including engine, oars, two sculling blade oars.
Inverness Ice Centre, Association of Amateur Sports Clubs, Inverness, Highland
Project Title Purchase and development of Inverness Ice Centre
Award £139,000
To acquire the land, existing building, plant and equipment.
West Lothian Leisure Ltd, Whitburn, West Lothian
Project Title Whitburn Leisure Centre
Award £500,000
Extending the existing stand alone pool into a community based sports and leisure centre focusing on activities for school and community users. The new facilities include a community activity room, health and fitness studio.
9 awards totalling: £1,392,154.00
TOTAL AWARDS £4,376,655