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Following extensive, but to date informal, feedback from several club representatives, we are starting to look at the feasibility of building a multi-use indoor and outdoor sports facility, which will be primarily for the use of everyone in Lochaber; young, old, fit or maybe needing to get a wee bit fitter, able-bodied and disabled. We want to attract national level competitions, and run training and outreach programmes. We want to make Lochaber an even more fantastic place to come on holiday - rain or shine.
We feel NOW is the right time to embark on this project – we have the Olympics coming up in 2012 and the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and in order for the legacy of sports enthusiasm to be translated into action, facilities have to be planned well in advance.
We want our many talented sportsmen, women and youngsters to be able to fulfil their potential on home soil instead of having to travel to Inverness, Glasgow or Edinburgh. We want our youngsters to grow up in a culture where physical activity is more attractive than sitting in front of a screen, so that they grow up to enjoy healthy lifestyles and longer lifespans. We want to be able to offer our older community members a place to exercise together, keeping nimble in body and mind. We want to create a sports and leisure “hub” with many spokes reaching out into the community and linking up to schools, existing clubs, youth groups and leisure centres.
In its document “Sport 2000”, the Scottish Sports Council states, “Scotland’s single need at local level is for multi-purpose sports centres” and the Highland Council’s Education Culture and Sport Committee state in their document, “Sports Facility Development Planning”: “It is clear that the assessment of future priorities will need to take into account…public aspirations and potential partnership projects”.
Community led and partnership projects such as this have been successful throughout Scotland; they need to be driven with enthusiasm and commitment and they need to be continuously supported by the community.
We are currently sending out a brief and simple questionnaire to Lochaber sports, leisure and youth groups to start the formal identification of needs. If the response is positive, we will then look at commissioning a Feasibility Study to ascertain how those needs can be met.
The deadline for taking part has now passed. If you think your group has not yet been contacted and you want to help us build a healthier future, please e-mail Jane
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