Clubs benefit from Government and sportscotland support

A couple of clubs in Scotland are on either side of major changing facility overhauls at their grounds, in a drive to improve the quality and inclusiveness of the services that they offer.Hawick Rugby Club have recently completed their changing room upgrade at Mansfield Park, while North Berwick Rugby Club are about to begin the building stages of their project at Recreation Park.Both clubs have received funding from sportscotland and CashBack for Communities.Site project manager at Hawick, John Andison, said: “We were delighted when we heard the grant from CashBack for Communities was accepted. Thanks to their generosity, of which£49,631 was given, we have been able improve the changing rooms at Mansfield Park and because of the upgrade we are now able to offer our facilities to mini, midi, under-16, under-18 and girls rugby teams and other sporting groups in the town.”A huge thanks goes to everyone involved, particularly sportscotland project manager, Steven Anderson, for all the help he gave me to finish the job so quickly.”North Berwick secretary, Brian Verth, said: “A key aim for our club is to provide facilities for the development, encouragement and backing of sport and recreation within our town.”With the continuing support of our funders the club is committed to upgrading our facilities to a standard necessary to encourage greater use by the community.”The club has a proud partnership with North Berwick High School, which runs rugby from S1 to S6 and with around 600 members, the majority of whom are under 18, there are further plans to upgrade what’s on offer at Recreation Park.”Some£54,070 from sportscotland and£45,000 from CashBack for Communities is being given to North Berwick to install two self-contained changing rooms with showers and toilets and a multi-use area for meetings and workshops.CashBack has supported 31 clubs across ScotlandThe North Berwick project is part of the Commonwealth Games 2014’s Community Sports Hub initiative, which aims to develop 150 hubs across all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities by 2016.sportscotland chief executive, Stewart Harris, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting such a thriving club like North Berwick – along with additional funds from the Scottish Government’s CashBack scheme – in upgrading their changing rooms, which will help to encourage more children and young people to take up the sport.”CashBack for Communities has given£1.25millions to 31 clubs across Scotland over a two-year period and now a number of those projects now coming to fruition.CashBack for Communities is the Scottish Government’s scheme to reinvest the proceeds of crime in local communities. The investment targets facilities and activities that have long-term benefits for young people, like the arts, youth work programmes and sport.