Investing in sport and physical activity

29 Jan 2026 11:12 AM

Additional £40 million will help people get more active.

Providing free, accessible and inclusive access to sporting opportunities for Scotland’s children and young people is at the heart of targeted funding designed to capitalise on a “spectacular summer of sport”.

In June Scotland men’s national football team will compete at the FIFA World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years before the city of Glasgow hosts the 2026 Commonwealth Games, from 23 July to 2 August.

While the nation’s elite sportspeople compete on the world stage, the Scottish Government is investing an additional £40 million into the 2026-27 sport budget.

If approved by the Scottish Parliament, this will see a £20 million uplift to core funding for sporting organisations and an additional £20 million to create innovative and inspiring physical activity opportunities for young people across Scotland, including:

• a £15 million “Summer of Sport” initiative offering free sporting activities for children and young people
• a universal learn-to-swim offer for every primary school child in Scotland that will continue beyond 2026, backed by initial year-one investment of £2 million
• a £2 million ‘Celebration of Football’ fund, aligned with the World Cup, using the power of Scotland’s national game to change lives through football.
• and a £1m ‘Health in the Community’ campaign targeting areas with low activity levels to become and stay active

Health Secretary Neil Gray, following a visit to an Active Schools event at St Brigid’s Primary in Glasgow, yesterday said:

“We are all looking forward to a spectacular summer of sport with our men’s football team competing at the World Cup Finals and Glasgow welcoming athletes from across the Commonwealth for the Commonwealth Games in just six months’ time.

“The ‘Summer of Sport’ programme will harness the excitement of these world class sporting events.

“The Scottish Government is offering every young person the opportunity to learn to swim, regardless of their background. This is a core life skill which will benefit so many children.

“Our investment will remove barriers for communities to access sport and will also significantly increase the core budget for sportscotland, in turn creating and sustaining opportunities for people across Scotland to be more active.

“Sport can be a force for good and by encouraging people to become and stay active, we can unlock a range of wider physical and mental wellbeing benefits that can leave a lasting impact long after the World Cup and Commonwealth Games this year.”

Forbes Dunlop, Chief Executive of sportscotland, yesterday said:

“As Scotland prepares for an extraordinary Summer of Sport, we have a unique opportunity to harness the inspiration of major events to drive longer term participation and community benefit.

“The Scottish Government’s additional £40 million investment in sport strengthens our shared ambition to widen access, support local delivery partners, and ensure people of all ages feel the physical, mental, and social benefits that sport provides.

“This funding will allow us to work with partners to build on the momentum generated by the World Cup and Commonwealth Games and to deliver a more inclusive, active Scotland for the long term.”

Background

Scotland will play host to or co-host three of the world’s biggest sporting events over the next three years – the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Tour de France Grand Depart 2027 and EURO 2028.