sportscotland invests £3.4 million in sports facilities legacy

Thursday 18 December 2008

Louise Martin CBE, Chair of sportscotland, today announced a substantial investment of nearly £3.5 million to improve sports facilities across the country, as part of its drive to increase participation and deliver a legacy from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Quality, accessible facilities are recognised as an essential factor in encouraging people of all ages and abilities to take part in regular physical activity and the majority of sports. Furthermore a report commissioned by sportscotland in 2006, A National Audit of Scotland’s Sports Facilities, demonstrated the need for improved facilities throughout Scotland, finding a significantly increased level of resources is needed just to maintain them in customer acceptable state. This level of resources and more will be required if Scotland is to develop an infrastructure of facilities sufficient to support increased participation and to develop sporting talent for the future.

Today’s announcement demonstrates how sportscotland is playing an important role, helping to develop this improved network of facilities, working closely with local authority and other voluntary sector partners.

The investment of £3,415,499 will see projects in Dunfermline, Orkney, East Kilbride, Edinburgh, Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Galloway and Troon all benefiting. This takes this year’s total investment by sportscotland in community sports facilities in Scotland to over £7 million.

In making the announcement Louise Martin CBE, Chair of sportscotland said: “The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 provide a clear focus and opportunity to develop many aspects of Scotland’s sporting infrastructure. We believe that improving Scotland’s stock of sports facilities across the country is one of the most important and greatest challenges which we must jointly tackle if we are to encourage more people to become active.

“Our investment of £3,415,499 from existing resources demonstrates sportscotland’s commitment to starting now to address this issue and maximise the benefits that hosting such a major Games can bring.

”I am particularly delighted to see community projects for a wide variety of sports, including many which will feature in the Games, benefiting from this investment across the length and breadth of Scotland.”

Some of the larger projects included in this investment are: a £1,100,000 award towards the major refurbishment of Carnegie Leisure in Dunfermline; £1,200,000 towards the extension of the Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall to create a new swimming pool and squash courts; a £500,000 award to assist with the refurbishment of the 50m pool and associated facilities at the Dollan Aqua Centre in East Kilbride; and £450,000 to create a multi sports facility, benefiting a number of sports, at Inch Park in Edinburgh.

Other projects benefiting are: a £15,400 award to assist with a pavilion development project at Nithsdale Wanderers FC in Sanquhar, Dumfries and Galloway; two projects in Aberdeenshire - a £52,968 award for an all-weather sports court at Cruden Bay and an award of £47,131 to provide a new clubgolf practice area at Kemnay Golf Club; and Troon Lawn Tennis Club will receive £50,000 to assist with the replacement of their clubhouse.

• The £3,415,499 investment in sports facilities is made up of £3,315,400 of sportscotland funding from the Scottish Government and £100,099 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund.
• Between the 1 January and 31 December 2008 sportscotland has invested £7,090,470 million in sports facility projects of all shapes and sizes and benefiting the length and breadth of Scotland. To view a full list of these projects please contact sportscotland Press Office.
• In June 2006 sportscotland published ’The National Audit of Scotland’s Sports Facilities’, which identified the challenges presented by Scotland’s current stock of sports facilities.
• sportscotland is continually revising its investment programmes to ensure they serve the best interests of Scottish sport. From January 2009 sportscotland will be introducing a new Sports Facilities Fund which replaces the Building for Sport programme. This will be funded from existing resources available to sportscotland from the Scottish Government and the National Lottery and will have revised criteria. The Fund will have two strands: Community Facilities and Training and Competition Facilities. The key criteria of the Fund include:
  • an increase in the maximum award that sportscotland is able to give to certain projects to take into account the increased construction costs some projects have, e.g. swimming pool upgrades. The projects in Dunfermline and Orkney announced today have already benefited from this increase, with both receiving awards of over £1 million each.
  • for projects in rural and remote areas costing less than £200,000, a reduction in the contribution from the applicant in recognition of increased construction costs due to the remote location and lower population numbers.
  • The introduction of a ‘Club-Hub’ initiative encouraging clubs to share costs and resources thereby giving them extra stability and security.
  • Also the incentive of complementary awards for clubs and sports groups for environmental initiatives such as air heat pump system and solar panels etc.

sportscotland Building for Sport Programme, December 2008 Community Facilities Strand – eight awards totalling £3,415,499

Project Title: Carnegie Leisure Centre Refurbishment, Dunfermline
Applicant: Fife Council
Award: £1,100,000
Contact for Press: Colin McGregor, Communications Officer, Fife Council
Tel: 08451 555555, ext 440029
Major refurbishment of a Victorian & 1980s pool, new changing, reception area, upgrade of sports hall; 90 station gym; 2 purpose built aerobic studios; spinning studio; personal training room; multi-purpose room; and additional car parking.

Project Title: The Pickaquoy Centre Redevelopment
Applicant: Orkney Islands Council
Award: £1,200,000
Contact for Press: Kieran Henderson, Recreation Services Manager, Orkney Islands Council
Tel: 01856 873535, ext 2426
New 25m, six-lane swimming pool adjoining existing Pickaquoy Centre, with moveable floor, boom, teaching pool, spectator area and changing village, stores, offices and café and the provision of three new squash courts.

Project: Dollan Aqua Centre Refurbishment, East Kilbride
Applicant: South Lanarkshire Council
Award: £500,000
Contact for Press: Margaret Barr, Media Relations Manager, South Lanarkshire Council
Tel: 01698 454959
Refurbishment of the 50m pool; poolside areas; wet side changing village; dry side changing facilities; disability access improvements; upgrade of boiler and filtration plan; sound and lighting systems

Project: Inch Park Multi-sports Facility (Edinburgh)
Applicant: Inch Park Community Sports Club
Award: £450,000
Contact for Press: Penny Lochhead, Director, PMR Leisure
Tel: 01620 895900
Multi-sports facility with provision of a modern clubhouse with six-team changing rooms; three referee rooms; first aid room; meeting/training room; and social accommodation. The existing grass rugby and football pitches along with the cricket wicket will be upgraded.

Project: All weather sports court and refurbishment of existing court (Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire)
Applicant: Cruden Bay Recreation Park
Award: £52,968
Contact for Press: Raymond Thomson, Trustee, Cruden Bay Recreation Park
Tel: 01779 812217
Installation of a second floodlit sand filled all-weather multi court 36m x 18m to cope with the increased demand.

Project: New practice area and upgrading of existing practice area
Applicant: Kemnay Golf Club (Kemnay Aberdeenshire)
Award: £47,131
Contact for Press: Martyn Paterson, Vice Captain, Kemnay Golf Club
Tel: 07872 032265
To purchase 10 acres to create a practice area including driving bays with artificial mats and a six hole short course aimed at delivery clubgolf to juniors. Upgrade of existing practice area to create a new green for short game practice.

Project: Lorimer Park Facilities – Pavilion development and refurbishment]
Applicant: Nithsdale Wanderers FC (Sanquhar, Dumfries and Galloway)
Award: £15,400
Contact for Press: Sam McFarlane, Secretary, Nithsdale Wanderers FC
Tel: 079303 95608
Development and refurbishment of existing pavilion to include two changing rooms and social space.

Project: Clubhouse replacement
Applicant: Troon Lawn Tennis Club (Troon, South Ayrshire)
Award: £50,000
Contact for Press: John Wilson, Project Manager, Troon Lawn Tennis Club
Tel: 01294 823920
Construction of modern timber framed clubhouse with ladies and gents changing facilities; disabled provision and open plan kitchen.