COMMITTEE SPRINTS ROUND CENTRAL SCOTLAND AS PART OF PATHWAYS INTO SPORT INQUIRY

13 January 2009

The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee embarks on the second phase of its inquiry on Pathways Into Sport this month. The committee will make a series of visits to sporting organisations and centres aimed at improving children’s involvement in sport, community facilities and coaching.

The inquiry will allow the committee to learn more about a number of key issues including sport in school time and whether school children are receiving two hours of physical education weekly. It also wants to identify best practice for local authority sports strategies for sport outside school time and how access to good quality coaching can be improved.

Committee convener Christine Grahame MSP said: “It is ironic that despite the Olympic and Paralympic success of Scottish athletes in Beijing the number of Scots participating in sports, especially children, is declining. This inquiry aims to identify opportunities and recommend improvements that will encourage children to get involved and stay involved in sport.

"The success of an athlete like Chris Hoy proves that Scotland can compete and win on the global stage. Our committee hopes this inquiry will help ensure that younger generations of Scots can benefit from excellent sporting opportunities, facilities and coaching in Scotland in the future.”

Committee visits

Monday 19 January - An informal meeting between Members and East Renfrewshire Council officials and representatives from Active8, athletics, cheerleading, football and tennis clubs at East Renfrewshire Council HQ, Barrhead.

Tuesday 20 January - An informal meeting between Members and Active Schools Co-ordinators, Active Schools Managers and sportscotland officials at sportscotland HQ, Edinburgh.

Monday 26 January - An informal meeting between Members and a cross-section of coaches and volunteers from a range of sports including volunteer and professional coaches and club volunteers/office bearers at the University of Stirling.

A visit to Stirling Council’s sports hub will also take place to see how its cluster model of sports facilities around primary and secondary schools and sports clubs works.

Committee meetings

Wednesday 14 January - John Beattie, chair of the Physical Activity Strategy Review Group and a former rugby international, will give evidence alongside representatives from Winning Scotland.

Wednesday 21 January - Primary and secondary PE teachers plus representatives of HM Inspector of Education and Learning Teaching Scotland.

Monday 26 January, Stirling - Representatives from Stirling Council, Stirling University, Sportcentral and Sport Tayside and Fife and sportscotland.

Wednesday 25 February - A public meeting with more than thirty representatives from sports organisations who have submitted evidence to the inquiry.

The visits and meeting in Stirling will take place subject to parliamentary authority approval.

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