Drylaw’s skate park project has received a major boost wth news of a £100,000 grant from the Scottish Government’s Legacy Active Places fund. Drylaw is one of 40 projects to receive funding from the £2 million programme, it was announced yesterday.
The Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund is part of the Scottish Government’s Commonwealth Games Legacy 2014 programme, which will give communities across Scotland more and better places to be active.
| The Drylaw project, which is being managed by Edinburgh and Lothian Greenspace Trust in partnership with Drylaw Telford Commnity Council and Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, will see the creation of a new skate park on the southern part of the existing BMX track in Easter Drylaw Park. The main features will include mini ramp, bowl, open area and rhythm sections. |
Communty council chair Alex Dale said: ” This is good news for the project and means we have now secured half of the funding we need. We are now in the process of putting together an application to a Charitable Trust for £50,000:00p and Councillor Lesley Hinds is talks with the city council’s Sport & Physical Activity Department of thCEC and we are hopeful they will fund the remainder.
“At present these are all if and but’s, but with yesterday news announced by the First Minister Alex Salmond this will be the key to open the ‘Pandora Box’ and help to secure these final pieces of funding to allow us to go to the contract tendering stage of the Skatepark Project. Its taken a bit of time but hopefully we are on the way to achieving the park that the youth of Drylaw have pushed hard for.”
The First Minister made the acnnouncements whle visiting the bust of Hawick rugby legend Bill McLaren in Wilton Lodge Park in Hawick, where he confirmed that Bill McLaren Park Ltd has been granted £77,000 to help build three all-weather tennis courts in the town.
Other projects to benefit from the funding include Arbroath Skate Park, Cycle Speedway at Queen Anne High School in Dunfermline, a play park climbing wall in Buchlyvie and a Trim Trail with play equipment at Elphinstone Primary School in East Lothian.
The announcement is the second allocation of funds from the Scottish Government’s £10 million Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund.
The First Minister said:
“Glasgow 2014 will be the largest sporting and cultural event Scotland has ever hosted and with less than one-year to go – there is a great sense of pride and excitement around the Games.
“The investment in this community facility in Hawick – and many others across Scotland – is part of this government’s vision to deliver a lasting legacy through the Games, by improving local facilities and encouraging people to get active, either through sport or something simple like going for a walk.
“The Games coming to Scotland provides an exceptional opportunity to make our nation healthier, help our businesses to prosper and celebrate our modern and vibrant culture both at home and on the world stage.
“Across Scotland local communities will benefit from the Active Places Fund giving people of all ages the opportunity to be part of the excitement created through the Games.”
David Grevemberg, Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, said:
“The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games is an opportunity to build a legacy in Glasgow, Scotland and across the Commonwealth in jobs, health and sport.
“Within the Organising Committee and alongside our Games Partners, the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Commonwealth Games Scotland, there is a shared sense of purpose and ambition.
“Our focus is to deliver for Glasgow and Scotland an outstanding Games and, beyond that, to leave a powerful legacy well into the future with our showcase for world-class sport having a tangible community relevance.”
Louise Martin CBE, Chair of sportscotland, said:
“sportscotland and the Scottish Government are working closely to deliver a successful sporting legacy from Glasgow 2014, and the Active Places Fund is a key component of that vision.
“Sporting facilities for both performance athletes and local communities are the best they have ever been in Scotland.
“We are well placed to capitalise on the growing captivation surrounding next year’s Games as we continue to expand Scotland’s stock of excellent facilities and provide more and better opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in sport and physical activity.”
Other succesful Edinburgh applicants include Warriston Community Tennis Club, Cramond Parent and Staff Association, Edinburgh Leisure, North Merchiston club, Buckstone Primary School and Drummond Communty High School.
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