Tag: Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund

Aldi Scotland Sports Fund awards £2,500 to support homegrown talent

Gogar Park Young Curlers says funding boost will make a ‘huge difference’

Aldi Scotland has awarded £2,500 to Gogar Park Young Curlers through its Scottish Sport Fund as part of a special one-off Champion’s Award launched to celebrate Scotland’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Gogar Park Young Curlers will use the funding from Aldi Scotland to invest in essential equipment, including sliding shoes, brushes, coaching aids and team uniforms. This support will help the club provide more inclusive and accessible entry-level opportunities, ensuring that every child has the chance to take part in the sport, regardless of their access to equipment.

Mihoko Pooley, member of Gogar Park Young Curlers, said: “This funding from Aldi Scotland will make a huge difference to our club and the young people who take part in our sessions.

“Curling can be difficult to access without the right equipment, so being able to provide shoes, brushes and uniforms will help us welcome more children and give them the best possible start”

Founded in 1979, Gogar Park Young Curlers is a junior curling club based in Edinburgh with around 70 members under the age of 21, mainly from Edinburgh and the Lothians. The club operates weekly Sunday morning sessions at Curl Edinburgh between September and March, supported by volunteer coaches and parent helpers.

Young curlers from the club compete in a wide range of internal and national competitions, from Under 12s to Under 21s leagues, travelling across Scotland from Stranraer to Inverness.

The club has a strong track record of developing elite talent, with former members Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat going on to win Olympic gold and silver medals at Beijing 2022 and set to represent Team GB again at Milano Cortina 2026.

Pooley continued: “With the Winter Olympics coming up in 2026, there is a real buzz around curling just now. This support will help us build on that excitement, grow participation and continue our proud history of developing young curlers.”

The Scottish Sport Fund Champion’s Award was introduced as a celebratory extension of Aldi Scotland’s long-running sports funding initiative, recognising a single club that demonstrates a strong commitment to developing young sporting talent. The award aims to harness the national pride sparked by Scotland’s return to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years and invest it back into grassroots sport.

Sandy Mitchell, Regional Managing Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “Scotland’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup was a huge moment for the nation, and we wanted to celebrate that success by giving something back through our Scottish Sport Fund.

“The Scottish Sport Fund Champion’s Award recognises clubs that go above and beyond to support young people, and Gogar Park Young Curlers is a fantastic example of that commitment. We are proud to support the next generation of sporting champions across Scotland.”

Aldi Scotland introduced its Scottish Sport Fund in 2016 to support individuals of all ages and abilities to get involved in physical activity in their local communities. Over the past decade, the retailer has supported more than 650 clubs across Scotland, donating over £500,000 to improve access to sport at a grassroots level.

Local Sports Clubs could score £2500 funding from Aldi Scotland

Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund has returned for its ninth consecutive year, giving local sports clubs in Edinburgh and the Lothians the opportunity to receive a share of £50,000 in funding.

Aldi Scotland introduced its Scottish Sport Fund in 2016, with the aim of motivating and encouraging individuals of all ages and skill levels to participate in physical activities within their local communities.

Committed to improving community access to sports across the country, the fund offers sports clubs across Scotland the opportunity to secure essential funding. With a range of funding tiers available, one club per region will benefit from a £2,500 funding boost.

Since the fund’s launch, almost 600 clubs in Scotland have benefitted from a funding uplift of more than £400,000. 

Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund welcomes applications from all sporting organisations that meet the specified criteria. In 2023, Aldi provided support to various sports clubs across Scotland, including Forth Valley Visually Impaired Bowlers, Sutherland Squash Club, Breadalbane Canoe Club, Musselburgh Windsor Girls Football Club, and Galloway Hillbillies Bike Club. This supplementary funding assisted the clubs in financing training sessions and acquiring new equipment.

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director, said: “Since 2016, Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund has given a wide range of sports clubs the chance to benefit from essential funding to help them invest in much-needed equipment and resources.

“We remain committed to supporting sports clubs across Scotland to help continue the fantastic work they do in their local communities. Every year, we are blown away by the volume of applications we receive, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming even more in 2024. I encourage all sports clubs across Edinburgh and the Lothians to apply and take advantage of this excellent funding opportunity.”

Sports clubs located across Edinburgh and the Lothians have from Monday 2 September – Sunday 6 October to apply for funding.

One applicant will be selected to receive £2,500 of funding, two applicants will each receive £1,000 of funding, while several other applicants will each receive £500 of funding. Applications can be made via a form found on

 https://www.aldi.co.uk/scottishsportfund.

The Aldi Scottish Sport Fund is open to any sporting organisation in Scotland that meets the application criteria. All applications will be considered by the Aldi judging panel and entrants will be notified of the outcome of their funding application within four to six weeks from the region’s deadline. 

Please see the Aldi Scottish Sport Fund FAQs and Terms & Conditions for more information.