Dave Thompson MSP

Dave Thompson SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch has welcomed the news that Mallaig and District Pool is to receive £30,000 in funding (strand 2), which has been allocated to the pool to enhance its capacity to develop longer term sustainability and increase its wider community and social impact.

More than £500,000 of grant funding has been awarded to a range of organisations as part of the legacy of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, as part of the £1 million Legacy 2014 Sustainable Sport for Communities Fund - a partnership between the Scottish Government and The Robertson Trust.

Commenting on this Mr Thompson said, “It is pleasing that Mallaig and District Pool is to benefit from a package of funding, as part of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Legacy, exemplifying that areas out with the central belt are gaining from the Glasgow 2014 spectacle”.

“I understand the award will help towards sustaining the future of the pool in Mallaig, which plays such a big role in the community and as such, I am sure I will not be alone in welcoming this great news”.

Notes:

Scottish Government Press Release Below:

£550,100 awarded to local sports groups

More than £500,000 of grant funding has been awarded to a range of organisations as part of the legacy of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, Jamie Hepburn, announced the awards during a visit with one of the successful organisations, Ardenglen Housing Association in Castlemilk, Glasgow, today.

The money forms part of the £1 million Legacy 2014 Sustainable Sport for Communities Fund, a partnership between the Scottish Government and The Robertson Trust. The fund is designed to support sport-related social enterprises, enabling them to become sustainable in the long run and in turn help people to become more physically active and deliver wider community benefits.

Applications for the fund are split into two categories. Strand 1 offers new or aspiring social enterprises up to £25,000 to help them obtain a wide range of professional and other support to explore their ambitions for facility provision. Strand 2 offers up to £30,000 to existing social enterprises to enhance their capacity to develop longer term sustainability and increase wider community and social impact.

Twenty one groups benefited from this funding round, which saw £550,100 distributed to small organisations from Hawick to the Isle of Harris. A second round of awards under Strand 1 is planned for the new year.

Ardenglen Housing Association in Glasgow is to receive £25,000 to investigate options around the ownership and operation of the former St Martin’s Church in Castlemilk. Other successful applicants included Outfit Moray in Lossiemouth, which was awarded £21,500 to develop plans on taking ownership of a former MOD site, turning it into a Centre for Excellence for Outdoor Learning. Meanwhile, Blantyre Soccer Academy will employ a part time Business Development Officer to help them identify additional options for income generation.

Jamie Hepburn said:

“The Legacy 2014 Sustainable Sport for Communities Fund is designed to make sure that social enterprises with a focus on sport and physical activity can benefit from Scotland’s fantastic year of sport. I’m delighted to be able to announce this first round of funding, and I look forward to hearing about the benefits it is bringing across Scotland.

“As a government we are absolutely determined to get Scotland more active, and to make sure we all maximise the benefits from the legacy of the best Commonwealth Games ever.

“Local community clubs and organisations like these can respond better to the needs of their local communities and help to reach these goals. These grassroots organisations make sport and physical activity possible for thousands of people across Scotland.

Kenneth Ferguson, Director of The Robertson Trust, said:

“The Robertson Trust is pleased to have funded these awards, in partnership with the Scottish Government, to provide support and investment to third sector organisations working in Scotland to impact positively on their communities through sports. The recipients of these Legacy 2014 Sustainable Sport for Communities awards demonstrate the wide range of work that is being delivered by sports social enterprises across Scotland. We are delighted to be able to assist them with the next stage of their development.

Alastair Davis, Chief Executive of Social Investment Scotland, said:

“We know that sport can and does make an incredible contribution to society, building social cohesion, improving public health and encouraging people to become involved in their communities. So the funding received by these organisations has the potential to make a massive difference to the lives of people who live in these communities. Not only will it help them to improve and increase the delivery of community sport and physical activity programmes, but it will also enable them to grow their organisations, increase their social impact and become more financially sustainable. In doing so, it will help to ensure that these programmes are embedded within communities for the long term.