Our Olympic sporting legacy
Published 16 Aug 2012 09:30
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North Ayrshire's young athletes will be given the chance to shine in the Largs area as the Council continues to build a sporting legacy for the area.
The Olympic Games in London have been a massive success story for Team GB with a record 29 gold medals. With the Glasgow Commonwealth Games on our doorstep in just two years' time, the Council is working with its partners to make sure that young people inspired by the Games have the best support possible.
Inverclyde Sports Centre, Cumbrae Watersports Centre, and the Scottish Sailing Institute all feature prominently as important venues as part of that focus.
This year, the Council announced a £72,000 Nurturing Excellence fund which will provide invaluable support for budding athletes.
The council has been involved in supporting and developing community sports clubs, training and infrastructure over the last few years. This includes: investing £3.9m in a state-of-the-art ice rink in Stevenston, providing £500,000 funding for Kilwinning Community Sports Club.
NAC have also helped to secure funding for a £400,000 championship level slipway at Largs and supported and developed community sports clubs across North Ayrshire.
This summer, the Council will welcome camp2012, Scotland's biggest basketball camp, attracting the best young basketballers from Scotland and beyond. This is the second year in North Ayrshire, with the Council providing key support and facilities, after its success at Inverclyde Sports Centre in Largs last year.
Arran Outdoor Education Centre gives people the chance to take part in a wide range of outdoor pursuits, some of which - like kayaking and sailing - have been showcased at this year's Olympic Games.
The provision of sport and leisure facilities across North Ayrshire has been improved with the creation of KA Campus leisure suites at schools and leisure premises across the area.
North Ayrshire also benefits from sportscotland's National Sport Training Centre in Largs and the watersport facilities at the National Centre Cumbrae, some of the world's best sailing waters, and a range of varied and challenging golf courses.
Councillor Alan Hill, spokesman for Community and Culture, said: "Many people will have been inspired by the Olympics over the last couple of weeks.
"With the Commonwealth Games arriving in 2014, we are in a unique position to ensure that there is a real legacy - both for our most talented young people to excel and for local communities to participate in more sports and leisure.
"We have an excellent foundation to build upon - both in terms of the wide range of sporting facilities and our excellent natural environment.
"With the creation of Schools of Sports and a fund to Nurture Sporting Excellence, we can make sure that the sporting enthusiasm can be channelled and make our communities more active and let our young people shine."
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