Commonwealth Games 2026 – The NEN

National Lottery funding brings Commonwealth Games spirit to communities in Edinburgh

LOTTERY BOOST FOR BIG HEARTS

People in Edinburgh are going All In for Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, as local groups prepare to host National Lottery-funded arts, sport and community activities, inspired by the Games.

With just three weeks till the Games begin, four projects in Edinburgh have received over £26,000 (£26,919) of National Lottery Awards for All funding, including Big Hearts Community Trust, Edinburgh Giants Inclusive Sports Club, Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival and Fischy.

This will help bring people together, encourage participation and help local communities by creating inclusive, locally led activities and events that build excitement, pride and connection ahead of an unforgettable summer of sport.

The awards are part of an additional £2.2 million investment through National Lottery Awards for All Scotland, delivered jointly by The National Lottery Community Fund, sportscotland and Creative Scotland.

The announcement is part of the wider All In campaign, Glasgow 2026’s Scotland‑wide movement inviting communities, schools, sports clubs, cultural and voluntary organisations and businesses to celebrate the Games in their own altogether brilliant way.

Big Hearts Community Trust will use its funding to expand its Together Equality Achieves More (T.E.A.M) project, providing access to free activities for children and young people, aged between eight and 12 years old from multicultural communities across Southwest Edinburgh.

Amanda Farquhar, Head of Delivery at Big Hearts said: “The Big Hearts’ TEAM project is about building a community that celebrates our young people in all their diversity and helps them thrive emotionally and physically through sport.

“We are grateful to National Lottery players whose support has enabled our charity to bring the spirit of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games to south-west Edinburgh. We look forward to hosting more opportunities for young people to get active and build friendships outside of school.””

Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival will deliver a five-month community Carnival Arts programme and a street parade to coincide with the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Explaining how the funding will be used, Giles Agis, Carnival and Community Manager, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this National Lottery Awards for All Scotland funding.

“This support will help Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival bring communities together through carnival arts, music, dance, and cultural celebration, marking the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in a way that is inclusive, creative, and rooted in Scotland’s diverse communities. We are very grateful to National Lottery players for making this possible.”

Other projects to receive funding, include Edinburgh Giants Inclusive Sports Club, will help train and certify 12 people in wheelchair rugby league coaching and first aid so they can then develop, run and evaluate a 9-month wheelchair rugby league programme for around 100 disabled children and young people living in Edinburgh.

Fishcy received support to deliver a free, celebratory Commonwealth Games 2026 online music and movement event to engage primary schools and Additional Support Needs schools across Scotland.

The funding is helping remove barriers to participation, enabling more people to take part in sport, arts and community activities while supporting health, wellbeing and social connection. Projects will also celebrate Scotland’s cultural diversity and ensure communities across the country can feel part of Glasgow 2026.

Announcing the first 40 grants totalling £317,456, on behalf of National Lottery Awards for All Scotland distributors, Neil Ritch, The National Lottery Community Fund Director for Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to support Big Hearts Community Trust, Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival and Edinburgh Giants Inclusive Sports Club and Fischy to bring the spirit of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games to their community through The National Lottery Awards for All Scotland.

“It’s really exciting to see so many communities go All in and get inspired to deliver sports, arts and cultural activity. Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re helping make sure the benefit of the Games is felt in communities right across Scotland.”

Chris Ansell, Glasgow 2026 Director of Live Programmes and Engagement, said “From Shetland to the Borders, we want every community in Scotland to feel part of Glasgow 2026.

“The response from communities across the country has been brilliant with the nation really embracing the spirit of the Games and channelling it into sport, arts and cultural activity. Thanks to support from the National Lottery, we are gathering communities together to celebrate the Games in their own way.

“These projects are proof that the impact of the Games reaches far beyond our incredible venues, sparking something real and lasting in communities. We couldn’t be more proud to see that happening right across Scotland.”

National Lottery Awards for All Scotland has awarded grants of up to £10,000 to help groups deliver activities that resonate with local communities. Funding remains available for projects taking place after the Games, helping extend the legacy of Glasgow 2026 long after the closing ceremony.

Community groups interested in applying can find out more about National Lottery Awards for All Scotland on The National Lottery Community Fund website.

Commonwealth Games 2026: Communities invited to Go All In!

LOTTERY FUNDING AVAILABLE

. Don’t miss out – Glasgow 2026 funding won’t last forever!

Communities across Scotland are being invited to go All In — but you’ll need to move fast!

Up to £10,000 is available through National Lottery Awards for All to support sport, arts and community activities inspired by the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026.

. You can use the funding to bring people together, get more people active, support well-being, celebrate culture and diversity and create something lasting for your community.

Funding is open to new and existing projects – current grant holders can apply too!

There’s no deadline – but funding will close as soon as the money runs out.

. Don’t wait — apply on our website now:

https://ow.ly/j3IU50Z1LHT

British Council goes All In to support Commonwealth Games 2026 with new classroom resources for schools

Ahead of this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the British Council has joined forces with children’s charity Youth Sport Trust to produce a new classroom resource pack for schools.

Designed to support learning and activities for young people, the pack celebrates the return of the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow this summer from 23 July – 2 August and the work of the Commonwealth to improve the lives of its citizens.

The resource forms part of the Glasgow 2026 Schools Programme and is inspired by All In – the nationwide call to action for this year’s Games, inviting communities to celebrate the Games in their own ‘altogether brilliant’ way.

The pack was launched yesterday at St John Paul II School in Castlemilk, Glasgow, where teacher and former Glasgow 2014 ceremony cast member, Jacqueline Hart and her pupils were visited by gymnast Cameron Lynn who, following his appearance at Birmingham 2022, is aiming to represent his country again at Glasgow 2026; and Glasgow 2026’s official mascot Finnie, the sport-loving unicorn.

Featuring a series of interactive learning activities and materials, teachers can use the resource pack to raise awareness of the Commonwealth and its values and help young people feel connected to the Games, their local community, country and the wider Commonwealth.

Schools can find out more and download the pack here.

Pupils will be introduced to the Games’ values of Humanity, Destiny and Equality through sessions exploring connection, fairness and inclusion. This echoes the British Council’s work building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and English language.

Designed for pupils aged between 7 and 11, the activities in the pack are flexible and adaptable. Teachers can use them as starting points for individual lessons or to form part of a larger cross-curricular project with a partner school overseas.

The British Council is also inviting any schools wishing to participate with an overseas partner to use their PartnerFinder database free of charge, to search for like-minded schools around the world.

The classroom resource builds on the British Council’s Schools Connect programme, which supports young people in the UK and around the world to build the skills, knowledge and attitudes they need to respond to global challenges and develop international understanding.

Glasgow 2026 is set to be ‘the most inclusive, community-driven and connected Commonwealth Games yet’, with 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories set to compete in an 11-day programme of 10 sports and six Para sports across four iconic venues.

Beyond its credentials as a major historical sporting event, The Commonwealth Games is also a chance for people from around the world to come together, celebrate their cultures and learn from each other.

Claire de Braekeleer, Director, British Council Scotland, said: ‘The Commonwealth Games 2026 is not just a sporting event, it is a chance for people from around the world to come together, celebrate their cultures and learn from each other.

“This classroom resource pack will enable children and young people to connect internationally on critical themes, such as equality and fairness, and celebrate the Game’s focus on inclusion and sustainability.

“While we proudly shine a light on Glasgow and Scotland as this year’s hosts, the pack is available for all and we hope that teachers and pupils across the whole of the UK will benefit from the resources available.’

Emily Reynolds, Director, Youth Sport Trust, added: ‘The Youth Sport Trust are delighted to be working in partnership with the British Council and Glasgow 2026 to bring this engaging resource to schools and teachers.

“The Commonwealth Games offer a powerful opportunity to connect young people to Glasgow, the values that unite the Commonwealth, and the wide range of sports that make the Games so special.

“Multi-sport events like the Commonwealth Games can inspire children and young people of all backgrounds, helping them to discover new sports, develop curiosity, and build a lifelong relationship with physical activity.

“This resource is designed to support teachers to bring that inspiration into the classroom and empower young people to learn through sport.’

Phil Batty OBE, Chief Executive, Glasgow 2026, said: “‘The Glasgow 2026 Schools Programme is helping to bring the Games to life in classrooms across Glasgow and Scotland, ensuring that young people feel genuinely connected to what these Games represent. It’s vital that young people across the country see themselves reflected in Glasgow 2026, and this programme plays a key role in making that happen.

“Developed with the support of partners including the British Council and the Youth Sport Trust, the programme gives pupils the opportunity to explore the cultures that make up the Commonwealth, increase participation in sport and develop positive, healthy habits that can last a lifetime.

“The resources have been carefully designed to be inclusive and adaptable for all learners and educational settings, while reflecting the vision and values at the heart of these Games.

“With Glasgow 2026 set to deliver the largest-ever Para sport medal programme in Commonwealth Games history, it’s especially powerful to see that same ambition and commitment to inclusion championed through the Schools Programme.’

PICTURES: Craig Watson

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