Camelon's sporting chance

The Camelon Community Sports Hub, a project supported by Falkirk Community Trust, will use the significant cash injection to establish and grow the project over the next five years.

Initially the funds will go towards supporting the development of existing local clubs, groups and sporting venues – including Camelon Juniors and the Mariner Centre – helping them to cater for growth through upskilling local people to national standards in sport, increasing learning and volunteering opportunities.

Martin Wylie, community sporting hub development officer, said: “There are different models of sporting hub and this particular model we operate in Camelon is not based in one particular facility.

“It’s spread out across the whole Camelon area and the funding will be used in this first year to support more sporting opportunities for young people through community outreach programmes.”

Focusing on sport and physical activity being inclusive to all, it is hoped the Camelon Community Sport Hub will make a huge impact on residents.

Camelon Community Sporting Hub chairman Iain Campbell said: “This is great news for Camelon and Tamfourhill and, on behalf of the Hub steering group, I can say we are delighted with the Big Lottery’s decision to provide funding to the Hub over the next five years.

“The funding enables our costed plans for year one of operation to start to be implemented on the ground in Camelon, delivered through our current partner Hub clubs and organisations.

“Securing this award has been the result of several years of consultation, engagement, planning and lots of hard work by many people including the Hub steering group – I thank them as well as Our Place Camelon, Falkirk Community Trust and in particular its Community Sport Hub development officer Martin Wylie and Active Schools manager Cameron Reid, as well as sportscotland which financially invests in both these key Trust positions.”

Neil Brown, Falkirk Community Trust general manager, added: “This funding will go a long way to improving the general health and well-being of the local community.”