Get set for summer of sport with 2014 Communities

28 May 2012 12:09 PM

People across Scotland will have even more chances to get fit over the summer, whatever the weather may bring, thanks to the latest grants announced by the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) through their 2014 Communities programme.

Created to support sporting activity in the run up to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth games, 2014 Communities is funding projects that introduce Scots of all ages to a wide range of activities and healthier lifestyles. Big Lottery Fund Scotland Committee Chair, Maureen McGinn, said: “The Big Lottery Fund’s2014 Communitiesis really supporting grassroots sport across Scotland. The programme allows people across the countrytoexplore their potential through a wide range of sports and physical activity, and will form an important part of the legacyof the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.”

Over 600 young people from Edinburgh and the surrounding areas will have the chance to take part in Sportfest. The one-day celebration of sport will take place in Inch Park in Edinburgh on 15 June, thanks to an award of £1,700 to Liberton Gilmerton Sports Forum. Coaches from local sports clubs across the city will showcase their sports and young people can take part in taster sessions in fencing, gymnastics, cricket, tennis, golf, mountain biking athletics, football, rugby, road cycling, handball and hockey. The day will also include an Olympic themed event where local primary and secondary schools will come together to compete in a mini Olympics.  The money will pay for passes given to all participants, a PA system, a bicycle obstacle course, medals, charity wrist bands, flyers and advertising banners.

Thanks to an award of £1,710 to Northern Focus Parkour, young people on Shetland will be able to take part in a four-day training programme, delivered by qualified Parkour coaches.  

Developed in the 1920s, Parkour is the discipline which teaches people to move through their environment by vaulting, rolling, running, climbing and jumping. The group was formed in 2010 by young people on the island and numbers have been growing steadily since. The training, which will be a mixture of taster, indoor and outdoor sessions will help to meet the growing demand and attract new members. The money will fund the coaches’ travel from London and Glasgow, accommodation costs and hall hire.

An award of £1,929 to Glasgow Wheelchair Rugby Club means they will be able to develop from recreational training to being able to enter as a competitive team in the GB Wheelchair Rugby League, as the group needs to expand so they have enough numbers to make up a full team. The money will mean they can also run promotional sessions to recruit new members and send out literature to rugby and wheelchair groups to raise awareness. They currently train in a school hall which is only three quarters the size of a full court and have no access to any training facilities during public or school holidays. Now they will be able to practice in a sports hall, which means when they get to competition level they will have had experience of playing on a full-sized court. The money will fund the costs of hall hire, travel expenses to attend friendly games, wheelchair rugby gloves, leg straps for rugby chairs a team kit and information leaflets.

People on the Orkney Islands will once again have the opportunity to take part in the fourth annual Rousay Lap later this summer, thanks to a grant of £1,000 to Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust. This is the fourth year the group has been able to organise the half marathon thanks to 2014 Communities and each year it grows in popularity with islanders and visitors alike. People taking part can walk, run or cycle the distance and everyone taking part will receive a certificate. The group are also looking for volunteers to help with the organisation and staging of the event. The money will cover the costs of Red Cross being at the race, posters, advertising and refreshments.

Wick Amateur Swimming Club will use their award of £1,513 to train new volunteers to be qualified poolside coaches and now will be able to offer disability awareness training to all coaches. Having more qualified coaches will mean they can go on to advertise the club locally to increase the number of children learning to swim and also those who want the chance to  be able to  swim competitively. The money will pay for the training of new coaches to Level 1 and Level 2, disability awareness training and promotional posters and leaflets.

BIG’s 2014 Communities programme aims to build a legacy from the 2014 Commonwealth Games funding projects that encourage people to take part or volunteer in sport or physical activity or use sport as a way to bring together people from different generations. In total £6.8 million will be invested over the lifetime of the fund, which is recognised as part of the Scottish Government’s Games Legacy plan.

Further Information

Lorna McNiven BIG Scotland Press Office 0141 242 1451 / lorna.mcniven@biglotteryfund.org.uk
For more information about 2014 Communities or the Big Lottery Fund please go to our website www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/scotland
Call: 0300 123 7110
Email: enquiries.scotland@biglotteryfund.org.uk or go to our website www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• 2014 Communities is a micro grants programme, offering local sports clubs, voluntary and community organisations, community councils and schools grants of £300 to £2,000 to support and stimulate grass roots involvement in sport and physical activity. In year two of the programme, Big Lottery Fund has £1 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 46% of 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 £28 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
• The Scotland Committee, led by Chair, Maureen McGinn, 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 its Investing in Communities portfolio as well as the small grants schemes Awards for All and 2014 Communities