This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Lottery funding for sports facilities
31/08/2004
Over £4.4 million from the Big Lottery Fund, the largest
of the National Lottery good cause distributors, will be
ploughed into building and improving local PE and sports
facilities.
Across the country 21 projects will share in £4,441,191
including new school gymnasiums and outdoor sports pitches,
improvements to community swimming pools and upgrades to
outdoor adventure centres.
The funding, awarded to nine Scottish local authorities,
comes from the Big Lottery Fund's New Opportunities for PE
and Sport programme designed to revamp existing sports and
PE facilities, build new amenities and encourage greater
involvement in sport among school pupils and wider
communities across Scotland.
The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport Frank
McAveety visited Kirkcudbright Academy near Dumfries today,
where over £172,000 will be used to create a multi-use
outdoors game area.
He said:
"I am delighted to announce almost £4.5 million of
Lottery investment in improving facilities for PE and sport
across Scotland. This cash boost for facilities complements
the massive investment we are making through active
schools. We are committed to improving the level and
quality of PE available to our young people through the
curriculum.
"The Executive is committed to working with our partners
in achieving the targets set out in Sport 21 and the
provision of modern facilities which will be available for
the wider community is fundamental to this success."
Big Lottery Fund Scotland Board Member David Campbell,
added:
"Every person in Scotland should be able to enjoy the
health benefits of sport in an environment which supports
and encourages their enthusiasm for physical exercise. It
is only by opening up access to new and improved sporting
venues that more people will have this opportunity to enjoy
fun and innovative activities. Today's funding will help to
ensure that this is the case for youngsters and wider
communities across the country."
Big Lottery Fund is the joint operating name of the New
Opportunities Fund and the National Lottery Charities Board
(which made grants under the name of the Community Fund).
The Big Lottery Fund, launched on June 1 2004, is
distributing half of all National Lottery good cause
funding across the UK.
New Opportunities for PE and Sport is an £87 million
programmes launched in March 2002. The initiative has two
separate strands:
New Opportunities for PE & Sport - Facilities and
New Opportunities for PE & Sport - Activities. All
areas of Scotland will benefit from both strands of this
programme. To date New Opportunities for PE & Sport -
Activities grants totalling over £33 million have been
announced.