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MINISTERIAL FOREWORD
Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP
First Minister of Scotland
Friday, 9 November 2007, was a proud day for everyone involved in Scotland's bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014 - politicians, sportspeople and, most importantly, the Scottish public.
Over 1.75 million individuals and organisations signed up to 'Back Scotland's Bid', with thousands watching the announcement at the Fruitmarket, Tollcross Leisure Centre and the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, and millions more across the country glued to the announcement on television and radio - at home, in schools and in offices. This level of public support was one of the key factors in securing crucial votes.
The Commonwealth has entrusted us to deliver one of the world's great sporting events. That is an enormous vote of confidence in Scotland from the international community, and we are now duty-bound to stage the best Commonwealth Games ever.
More importantly, we owe it to ourselves to deliver a real, positive and lasting legacy from the Games. As a country, we bid for the Games not just because we wanted to see some of the world's best athletes competing in Scotland, but because we saw the potential of the Games to inspire change in our society, to improve people's health and to give our children greater chances in life.
This consultation paper is about securing that legacy, it sets out our initial thoughts on where we might see benefits from the Games, and how we might turn that potential into reality. We want you to comment and give us your insights and hopes for the Games.
These are very much Scotland's Games, and so I would encourage everyone to contribute to the development of a winning plan, from which the whole nation will benefit.
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