Facilities 'threaten' Games legacy

Jan 16 2013

A lack of volunteers and facilities will threaten the sporting legacy of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, a Holyrood committee has warned.

The Health and Sport Committee has asked sportscotland, the national sports body, to co-ordinate an urgent audit of volunteers in sports clubs and groups throughout the country.

Local authorities are also urged to do more to provide access to sport facilities, such as in schools.

Glasgow 2014 is expected to result in a greater demand for sport but this demand will not be met without an adequate volunteer workforce of qualified coaches, and accessible local facilities, the committee reported.

Members have asked Commonwealth Games and Sport Minister Shona Robison to update them, before parliament takes its summer break, on progress with all aspects of volunteering in sport and Scotland's readiness for the expected increase in demand for club sport.

The concerns are outlined in the committee's newly published report on its inquiry into support for community sport, which included evidence sessions with prominent figures such as Judy Murray, tennis coach and mother of Andy Murray, and Liz McColgan, the Olympic medal-winning distance runner and athletics coach.

Committee convener Duncan McNeil said: "First of all, the committee wants to commend all those that volunteer. Without them there would be no community sport.

"Our committee heard that Glasgow 2014 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure a sporting legacy for Scotland. This is a commendable goal. But rhetoric won't become reality if we don't have the volunteers there to provide the coaching and run the clubs, or we don't make the most of existing facilities."

A spokesman for sportscotland welcomed the report, and said: "We are already engaged in developing many of the report's recommendations. We recognise that volunteers in sport are invaluable and the recruitment, retention and training of volunteers is a priority, which is why we have progressed the Volunteering in Sport 2011-15 framework in conjunction with Volunteer Development Scotland.

"Without the dedication of Scotland's 195,000 volunteers, who are committed week-in week-out, Scottish sport would struggle to exist. We are engaging with sports clubs throughout Scotland and will be announcing a further initiative later this year."