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Wednesday 30th January 2013

SPL Trust awarded Scottish Sport Relief grant

Almost 1,000 older people will be offered the chance to attend an activity programme at their local SPL club over the next two years, thanks to a £214,500 grant from

SPL CLUBS TO EXTEND HELPING HAND TO OLDER PEOPLE ACROSS SCOTLAND

Almost 1,000 older people will be offered the chance to attend an activity programme at their local SPL club over the next two years, thanks to a £214,500 grant from the Scottish Sport Relief Home and Away Programme.

The SPL Trust has become the latest beneficiary of the £5 million fund, which is supporting projects that will help create a lasting legacy from the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The announcement was made by Humza Yousaf, Minister for External Affairs and International Development, on a visit to St Johnstone FC, one of the first SPL clubs to start this new initiative.  He saw first hand the type of support being provided and heard how older people across Perthshire are already benefitting. 

Through a partnership with a number of regional and national partners, the grant will enable the Community departments within each SPL club to run a ten-week activity programme, involving physical, social and well-being activities. 

Projects will be established in 12 locations throughout Scotland, and sessions this spring and autumn will involve up to 20 people from the local community meaning around 480 older people will be supported throughout the course of the year.

Onward referrals will also be provided to ensure those involved continue to access similar activities in their local area. 

This award is the final tranche of the ‘home’ element of the programme which is jointly funded by the Scottish Government and Sport Relief.  Over £2.3m has already been distributed to projects across Scotland designed to help the vulnerable and those facing challenges in their lives. 

Humza Yousaf, Minister for External Affairs and International Development said: "It’s vitally important that older people within our communities have access to programmes like this, which bring people together to enjoy shared interests and promote positive health and wellbeing.

"Thanks to the funding from Scottish Sport Relief Home & Away programme, the SPL Trust can continue to make valuable social and community contributions and I’m sure those involved in the programme will benefit hugely.  This is exactly the type of initiative that embodies the spirit of Legacy 2014.  The Games coming to Scotland is not just about sport, it’s about creating benefits for people the length and breadth of Scotland and delivering lasting impact."

Billy Singh, General Manager at SPL Trust said: “We are extremely grateful to receive this support from the Scottish Sport Relief Home and Away Fund. We believe with the support provided here we can help to make a real difference in the lives of older people in our communities.

“The SPL football clubs do a huge amount of work every day to support those in their local area and beyond. With the addition of this project they are now helping people at every stage of their lives.”

David Black, Community Coach, St Johnstone FC, said: “We’re delighted to have received this funding through the Home and Away Programme.  We’re fully committed to playing an active role within the community and believe this project will deliver a range of positive benefits and outcomes for older people living in Perthshire.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming participants and working with our partners to ensure we meet the needs of the community and deliver a quality programme that contributes to the legacy from the 2014 Games.”   

Judith McNeill, Grants Director at Comic Relief, said: “The Scottish Sport Relief Home and Away Programme shows our continued commitment to combating social injustice and poverty in Scotland and around the world. We’ve made nearly £20 million worth of grants over the years to help Scotland’s most vulnerable people. Thanks to this initiative, future generations will remember the 2014 Commonwealth Games as a real catalyst for change in thousands of people's lives.”

Background

1.  Scottish Government, Sport Relief, sportscotland and Education Scotland have joined in partnership to create the Scottish Sport Relief Home and Away Programme as a way to maximise the benefits to Scotland and Commonwealth countries surrounding the enthusiasm and impetus of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.

2. Approximately 50% of the fund will help projects supporting people living incredibly tough lives here in Scotland, and the remaining amount will help change lives in some of the world’s poorest countries.

3.  The Scottish Government outlined its legacy plans in September 2009.  These plans set out how the people of Scotland will benefit from a lasting and positive legacy from hosting major events, such as Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.  This partnership is committed to supporting these long-term aims.

4. The programme is jointly funded with £2.5m contributed from the Scottish Government’s Health portfolio and International Development Fund, and £2.5m from Sport Relief.

5. Sport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief that takes place every two years. The next Sport Relief Weekend will be during March 2014.  

6. This year one million men, women and children took part in the last Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile to help poor and disadvantaged people in the UK and across the world’s poorest countries.  From David Walliams’ Thames swim to Eddie Izzard’s 43 marathons in 51 days, Sport Relief has a unique history of brave celebrities taking on gruelling, physical challenges to raise cash and change lives.

7.  sportscotland is the lead agency for the development of sport in Scotland, investing in and joining up the people, places, partnerships and planning that make sport happen.

8.  Education Scotland is the national development and improvement agency for education with a remit of providing support and constructive challenge to the nation’s education system from early years to adult learning.

9. SPL Trust is the charity arm of the Scottish Premier League. It works with the SPL football clubs to develop, manage and deliver community projects in the areas of Health, Citizenship, Achievement and Participation.