It's been a packed summer of activities for young people across the Highlands, from surfing and swimming to climbing and caber tossing! But the fun isn't over yet, with Summer of Sport going to extra time!
There is still funding available through High Life Highland from this national funding programme, which was launched earlier this year by the Scottish Government and sportscotland. The aim is to give children and young people across Scotland more opportunities to get active, have fun and improve their physical wellbeing.
What we've funded so far
As a participating partner, we've funded or delivered a wide range of activities since Summer of Sport was launched in May this year. These have included a basketball festival for care experienced young people, gorge walking, Highland Games, archery, mindfulness sessions, and reduced-cost holiday activity camps for children and families.
We've also supported the purchase of specialist disability equipment to improve accessibility, and transport support to help individuals and communities access activities that may otherwise have been out of reach.
These initiatives have helped reduce barriers to participation and ensure more people across the Highlands can enjoy the benefits of being active. These examples, alongside many others, show the breadth and impact of the programme across local communities.
We've seen the difference that even small amounts of funding can make to local clubs and community groups
Summer of Sport Project Manager
Funding is still available
With the funding programme still open to applications, we're encouraging organisations and groups to look ahead and consider what activities they would like to offer in the coming weeks and months that may benefit from financial support.
Hugo Crush, our Summer of Sport Project Manager, explained: "The Summer of Sport programme has created some fantastic opportunities for young people across the Highlands to get active, build confidence and connect with others through sport and physical activity.
"We've seen the difference that even small amounts of funding can make to local clubs and community groups, helping them provide new experiences and create lasting opportunities for young people.
"There is still funding available and we're keen to hear from organisations with ideas that could benefit their communities. It could be a football or shinty club looking to continue training throughout the winter months but need to hire an indoor space, a group needing support with transport costs to access activities, or a club wanting to invest in volunteer training and development.
"Whatever the idea, if it helps young people become more active and removes barriers to participation, we'd encourage organisations to get in touch and find out how this funding could help."
What kind of projects could be funded?
Projects that support sustained participation in sport and physical activity, develop volunteers, reduce barriers such as travel costs, or deliver local festivals, events and community activities may all be eligible for support.
We're particularly keen to hear from organisations looking to develop collaborative projects that will leave a lasting impact on participation levels within their communities.
Get in touch
For more information, email HLHSummerofSport@highlifehighland.com.
You can also find out more about how Summer of Sport got started in the Highlands.
Got an idea? Get funding
Tell us how Summer of Sport funding could help young people in your community get active.
