UK Sport in Major Investment in Scottish Sport
UK Sport today confirmed a £230,000 investment in Scottish sport to allow three governing bodies to undertake a ground-breaking joint marketing project.
The scheme will see the employment of marketing managers across the governing bodies – Scottish Athletics, the Scottish Hockey Union and Scottish Swimming – who will work separately to increase their own sports’ income, while working in collaboration to develop a combined membership benefits package.
Sponsors and service providers will be able to gain access to the databases of the three sports, drawing in increased funds attracted by larger joint markets.
It is hoped that the project will result in an increased number of members for each sport (4000 in athletics, 1000 in hockey, and 2000 in swimming), while also generating at least an additional £100,000 per year for each sport by 2006.
As the scheme develops, other sports will also have the opportunity to buy into and benefit from the initiative.
The award was made by UK Sport’s Council at its meeting in Edinburgh on Monday; the first under the Chairmanship of Sue Campbell, who was recently appointed to the helm of the body until after the Athens Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Campbell recently declared that a significant part of her agenda at UK Sport will be devoted to ensuring that the body is more responsive to the needs of the devolved administrations.
Said Campbell: ‘I am conscious that though it is only four years since UK Sport began using National Lottery money to support our top athletes and bring major sporting events to all corners of the UK, it is a good time to ensure that we do so in a way that remains relevant to our constituent partners.
‘With Scottish athletes set to play a significant role in Team GB at the Athens Olympic and Paralympic Games and the country hosting major sports events both this year and next, it is important that we can drive a mutual agenda forwards, up to the Beijing Games and beyond. With UK Sport having set an ambitious target of being in the world’s top 5 sporting nations by 2012, it is critical that we have a system that adds value at every level.’
The meeting of UK Sport’s Council was followed by a reception in the Scottish capital, with Frank McAveety, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, as the guest of honour.
Said McAveety: ‘We welcome and share UK Sport’s commitment to a British vision of success on the world and Olympic stage. We want to see Scottish athletes making a major contribution to delivering that vision and UK Sport, sportscotland and the Scottish Institute of Sport have all come together to enhance the support for Scotland’s elite athletes.
‘The Scottish Executive sees sport as a key vehicle in the delivery of its policies. Our two key challenges are a commitment to the provision of sports facilitated across Scotland, and to determine the relationship that the Home Countries have with the 2012 Olympic bid. We look forward to continued partnership and cooperation with UK Sport, which will in turn lead to greater excellence.’
For more information please contact:
Matthew Crawcour in the UK Sport Press Office (07836 230704 / 020 7211 5100)