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 , following a visit to an Active
Schools event at St Brigid's Primary in Glasgow, 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,
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.
