- Area:
- Scotland
- Programme:
- 2014 Communities
- Release date:
- 30 3 2009
Sports from shinty to skateboarding will be made available to people across the Highlands as the Big Lottery Fund today announced the first round of funding from its 2014 Communities programme. The programme is the first in Scotland to make funding available for community groups and organisations to build a legacy from the 2014 Commonwealth Games up and down the country.
Across Scotland 78 grassroots projects are to benefit from the first set of awards that aim to support and stimulate grassroots involvement in sport and physical activity. The 2014 Communities programme from the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors is proving to be a success and attracting new groups to apply for Lottery funding with 28 per cent identified as first time applicants.
Through the programme the Big Lottery Fund hopes to encourage more people to take part and volunteer through sport or physical activity as well as using sport as a way to bring together people from different generations.
Announcing the first awards totalling £70,116, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Alison Magee, said: “Through 2014 Communities we are investing money across the country so as to create a nationwide legacy that is not just centred on the city in which the games will take place. More than 90 per cent of these awards are for groups outside Glasgow and 28 per cent of those who have been successful have never applied to us before.
“In the Highlands the local love of shinty is well represented with three groups due to expand thanks to this funding. A wide range of other activities including sailing, sub aqua diving and skateboarding are also gaining from this first round of grants. These projects are all very different but share a common aim; helping people become fit and healthy, learn new skills and play an active role in their community.”
The Scottish Government’s Sports Minister, Shona Robison, MSP, said: It’s extremely encouraging to see the range of activities being strengthened across Scotland's communities through these grants. These awards will encourage more people to lead healthier, active lives and really get involved in their communities, the heart of our own legacy aspirations.“
She continued: “These grants will also help get hugely worthwhile grass roots projects off the ground across Scotland. We want to see more people involved in their communities and these projects will help to achieve that.
“Our ambition is to create a lasting legacy from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow which will help people live longer, healthier lives in strong, supportive communities, valuing and protecting the built and natural environment with new and better skills development, employment and volunteering opportunities for generations to come.”
Jon Doig, Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Scotland, said: “One of the main reasons for bringing the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow in 2014 is to encourage more people to take part in sport and it is great to see the impact that the Big Lottery Fund’s 2014 communities funding strand is having from the outset. Just like our team members who represent the length and breadth of Scotland, applications are coming in from right across the country.”
In the Highlands 12 projects are sharing in today’s 2014 Communities funding.
Newtonmore Camanachd Club is amongst three winning groups aiming to increase the number of people taking part in shinty outside of the villages it is traditionally played in. Regarding their £893 grant, Club spokesman Ian Gibson said: “This award allows us to have competitive matches so that the children do not need to travel so much and are therefore more likely to take part and be supported by their parents. The increased competition this provides for us is really welcome and we are extremely grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for its support.”
OK Skate in Skye and Lochalsh aims to broaden access to skateboarding with its 2014 Communities money. The group already has a mobile half-pipe ramp which has spent the start of this year in the Bayfield car park in Portree.
Lesley Hallon, spokeswoman, OK Skate, said: “This grant has been brilliant for us. We’d aimed to buy 10 skateboards, and protective gear but we got lucky and managed to get three times the kit for the same money. We’ll be giving anyone who wants to try skateboarding the chance to get one of our boards and give it a go. There’s an obvious demand locally and we’re hoping this money helps us to open up access to all.”
Other groups receiving funding today in the Highlands are:
Tain Royal Academy, Award - £1,000
This group provides educational and recreational activities for children of high school age. The grant will be used to buy one set of hockey goals.
Spean Bridge Primary School, Award - £975
This school will start a joint football team, between the school and Roy Bridge Primary School. The grant will be used to pay for football strips, footballs, bags, water bottle kits, cones, training bibs and end of season trophies.
Lochaber High School, Award - £990
The school will use the grant to encourage more young people to take up shinty and basketball by providing regular training sessions and sporting equipment. The grant will be used to purchase shinty goals, nets, sticks, practice balls, basketball hoops and basketball nets.
Merkinch Partnership, Award - £958
This group support and advise community groups on developing projects and building community capacity. This grant will be used to pay for a jumps pack, hurdles, batons, shot put and discus.
Broadford Youth Club, Award - £1,000
This group will expand its football club with the grant used to contribute towards two sets of goal posts, counter weights and nets.
Dingwall Youth Sub Aqua Club, Award - £1,000
This grant will be used to pay for aqualungs for instructors which will allow more young people to receive training.
Golspie High School, Award - £747
The school will use the grant to fund training and coaching in mountain biking for their students.
Scoraig School, Award - £1,000
This project will enable more children to take part in sports through external improvements. This grant will fund stone blasting, ground drainage, a sand surface and earth moving costs.
Grantown Grammar School, Award - £1,000
This school will run a series of after-school sports activities for girls. This grant will fund coaching costs and facility hire.
Kinlochbervie High School, Award - £1,000
This school project focuses on promoting shinty. The grant will fund transport costs and accommodation costs.
Chanonry Sailing Club, Award - £743
This group offers opportunities to new members and also develops the skills of existing members. The grant will be used to pay for crewsaver mast head floats, digital camcorders, digital camcorder batteries and a memory card.
Fort William RC Primary Parent Council, Award - £974
The group wants to encourage children to attend after school shinty and football clubs and participate in team activities. The grant will be used to purchase a football team strip, football goals, eight shinty helmets and eight wooden sticks.
For full details of all 2014 Communities grants announced today 
click here
- 831KB (380KB .xls).
Further Information
For further information on 2014 Communities contact:
Landa Rolland on: 0141 242 1415 or 07880 737 157
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Notes to Editors
- 2014 Communities is a new micro grants programme, offering local sports clubs, voluntary and community organisations, community councils and schools grants of £300 to £1,000 to support and stimulate grass roots involvement in sport and physical activity. In year one of the programme, the Big Lottery Fund has £0.5 million to award in grants. 2014 Communities will continue to operate up to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, but what we focus our funding on and how we deliver our funding may change based on learning leading up to 2014.
- 2014 Communities is about building a legacy of well-being before and beyond the Commonwealth Games. The programme aims to encourage more people to take part or volunteer in sport or physical activity as well as encourage greater community cohesion in the run up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
- The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
- BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
- Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £22 billion has now been raised and more than 300,500 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
SCOTLAND
The Scotland Committee, led by Chair, Alison Magee, has been making Big Lottery Fund decisions on Scottish projects since March 2007. As well as taking devolved decisions on Lottery spending, the Committee has and will continue to play a strategic role in the future direction of BIG in Scotland.
The Big Lottery Fund is investing in Scotland’s communities through it’s Investing in Communities portfolio as well as the small grants schemes Awards for All and 2014 Communities.
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