Official Report 442KB pdf
Good morning. The first item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-20497, in the name of Brian Whittle, on sport and activity as a force for good. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
I advise members that the debate is oversubscribed, so there is no time in hand. In the open debate, members must stick to their agreed speaking slots of up to four minutes. The opening speaker and the minister must stick to up to seven minutes each. If members wish to accept interventions, those will have to be absorbed within the time constraints that have been set forth.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament recognises the importance of sport and activity as a force for good that goes beyond just physical health; considers that they have a significant impact on mental health, as well as contributing to community and national cohesion and wellbeing; believes that sport breaks down barriers of colour, race, religion and creed by bringing individuals and communities together through a common shared interest and passion; recognises that, by promoting sport and activity, the Scottish Government can positively impact on confidence, resilience and aspiration which, in turn, can positively impact on education and benefit the economy, and notes the view that the Scottish Government should do everything that it can to make sport and activity available for all, in the South Scotland region and across the country, irrespective of personal circumstances.
10:00
I have been warned.
My passion lies in the firm belief that education is the solution to health and welfare issues. By education, I mean not only academia but coaching in sport, the arts, drama, music and any activity that can engage, enthuse and engender a passion in our youngsters.
I will quote from my first speech in the Parliament, which I made 10 years ago:
“If we choose to open up choices to our children and allow them opportunities to find their passion … stoke their enthusiasm and engender self-belief, self-motivation, self awareness and a drive towards achievement, whatever they decide that achievement will be … they will seek to make better lifestyle choices”,
and I believe that we can teach them to do so. I also said:
“The importance of self-awareness cannot be overstated. If we help them to achieve that, no matter what discipline they are involved in, it will have a profound effect across all … aspects of their lives … However, if we choose to ignore the issue”—
or if we decide that the task is too difficult to tackle, it is guaranteed that, in five years, not only will the issue remain but—
“the situation will continue to deteriorate, with the result that health inequality will increase and the attainment gap that we want to eliminate will widen.”—[Official Report, 7 June 2016; c 25.]
When I said that, I was youngish, had 20:20 vision and had no grey hair. I was also 10kg lighter, optimistic and enthusiastic.
However, on health—whether physical or mental—and on education, we have made very little progress since then. In fact, many health indicators have got markedly worse. Obesity levels, type 2 diabetes, drug and alcohol deaths and the need for treatment for poor mental health, to name but a few of those indicators, have continued to deteriorate. We are the unhealthiest country in Europe and one of the unhealthiest in the world. Our healthy life expectancy is reducing—it has dipped below 60 years of age, with a huge differentiation between areas 1 and 5 on the Scottish index of multiple deprivation.
That worries me greatly, not just because I am well beyond that age milestone. The decline in children’s physical literacy over the past few decades is directly linked to the decline in the health of the nation. The decline in investment in real-time sports and activities, from an already low level, the increasingly difficult access to sport and activity and a lack of understanding of the potential impact of sport on society have exacerbated our already poor health outcomes.
My daughters have always played sport. The eldest two competed internationally. The youngest is in sixth year and shows real promise. Her chances of becoming an Olympian are 0.0003 per cent. Nevertheless, if she stays in sport, the chances of her staying in a leadership position increase by 70 per cent, her risk of disease lowers by 40 per cent and her risk of developing mental health issues decreases by 40 per cent. Sport not only benefits our physical and mental health but gives us the tools and foundations that we need in life.
My two eldest grandsons—one plays for Ayr United Football Club and the other is on a Scottish Rugby Union pathway—are taking advantage of opportunities that are afforded to them that too many of our children do not have. In many cases, that is because there is no network to support funding of the travel, the kit, the clubs, the availability to participate and all the associated costs. The children of my tribe are lucky, because their parents and grandparents are able to support their aspirations in that way.
“Nature or nurture?” is the perennial question. The truth is that the answer is, “A bit of both.” One of my favourite quotes is from Henry Ford, who said:
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you're right.”
However, before you can believe that you can, you have to be aware of—and have access to—opportunity in the first place. We should all want to have access to sport and activity, no matter what the personal circumstances. I have had the pleasure of meeting many participants across sport who have been offered that opportunity.
I give a big shout-out to the Ayrshire Tigers powerchair football team, to whom I am eternally grateful for giving me the opportunity to put a parliamentary team against them—a team that included Alexander Stewart, who thought that he had found his sport because he could do it sitting down. He is still traumatised by his experience because, as he quickly learned, if you do not train for a sport, those who do will quickly demonstrate your frailties. If we want to witness a sport that has changed and enhanced the lives of those who take part, we need look no further than the powerchair football community.
The education environment is the key battleground in laying the foundations for an active and healthy long life. If we are to create an active community and reverse the declining health of the nation, we must develop a cohesive policy that connects from birth to old age. Much of the blueprint for later life, including for the cardiovascular system, bone density and the neuromuscular system, develops pre-school. There is an opportunity to use the 1,140 hours of free nursery care to embed active play and a better relationship with food while we are at it. I would like training modules in childcare to include the development of active play and a healthy diet. Incidentally, that would also allow for continuing professional development in the sector.
That would lay the foundation for primary school, where that already embedded activity and physical literacy could be further developed, still with play and fun at the forefront, through the school curriculum and the active schools network. That would ensure that all have access. As pupils develop through school activities, that should be reflected and connected through opportunities that are available in communities, and linked in with sports governing bodies. There must be participation pathways that make participation easy. By the time that secondary school is reached, more formal sport should be an option, and that should again be linked to community opportunities.
One issue that I am currently working on is how we deliver sport and activity in a way that includes those who are becoming serious about the sport as well as those who participate just for fun, camaraderie, health and inclusion. The competition structure is not what it used to be, and we need to recreate that opportunity. I believe that that can be done within the resource that we currently have. University sports and clubs await those who are keen to keep their competitive sport going, and many of Scotland’s great achievements have come through that route.
I want to speak briefly about volunteers. We need to give more people the opportunity to volunteer, and I will offer an idea to increase the sector. How about, as part of an employment package, we develop a system whereby, as employees reach retirement, they get the opportunity to sit coaching qualifications in an activity of their choice? That would be paid for jointly by the employer and the Government, and both sport and the volunteer sector would benefit.
We have a fantastic summer of sport to look forward to, and those events will create national pride and emotion—all positive, of course. If we are to realise and optimise the opportunities that that legacy offers, we must consider how all our community can benefit and how we can ensure that all our people have access. That will require a consistent, joined-up and inclusive generational plan over a period of time. We must make it easier to take part.
It has been 10 years since I first spoke in the chamber on sport and activity. As I reflect on what has changed since I raised those issues, it is hard to say anything other than that, overall, Scotland is unhealthier, which is in part the result of sport becoming ever more difficult to access. Sport and activity are supposed to be for all. I urge the Parliament in the next session to take more seriously the role of sport and activity and their positive impact on health, community cohesion and national pride.
Before we commence the open debate, I note that a couple of speakers who had previously indicated that they might wish to speak have not pressed their request-to-speak button.
We move to the open debate, with back-bench members having speeches of up to four minutes, as I said.
10:08
I thank Brian Whittle for giving me the opportunity to give my final speech in this august place on a subject that is very close to my heart. I was involved in amateur and juvenile football for many years, first as a very mediocre player and then as a more successful coach and manager, and I enjoyed almost every minute of it.
Two things never leave me about the importance of sport, and particularly team sports. One is the camaraderie that sport fosters, often among people from widely varying backgrounds, who become lifelong friends through the trials and tribulations of sport and, hopefully, that feeling of joy when you win a trophy or feel that you have played particularly well. I will come on to how one club in my constituency, through hard work and determination, along with the buy-in of the local community, helped to change the lives of hundreds of young kids, both male and female, through the power of sport.
The other thing that sport gives you is confidence. For example, it is through football that I got the confidence to speak in public. Before I got involved, I was—as I am sure members will not be surprised to hear—very opinionated, but I had a dread of speaking to even a small number of people in an official setting. That was because of imposter syndrome, I think. That was until my dearest friend, Sandy Fraser, who is no longer with us, told me that he wanted me to give a team talk at football. The only advice that he gave me, which I give to others even now, was to concentrate on one individual if I felt nervous and to speak as if they were the only person I was addressing. Since that day, people have not been able to shut me up.
Before I go on to the substance of my speech, I will take the opportunity to speak for a few moments about my time as a member of the Scottish Parliament. There is no doubt that being an MSP, particularly for my home constituency of Glasgow Cathcart, has been the proudest achievement of my life. To have won that seat three times, with an ever-increasing majority, leaves me with a sense of personal pride. However, I am even prouder of the fact that I, and my office, have helped hundreds upon hundreds of individuals and families and, with the assistance of some of the finest organisations in the country, have been able to reach out to those who are most disadvantaged.
I will briefly mention two charities. Home-Start Glasgow South has assisted countless families through the most difficult of times, and it continues to do so. The Daisy Project is a charity that works with women and families who have been victims, or survivors, of domestic abuse, invariably by men, and is an inspiration that is now looked on as a shining example of how best to support such families. I might be leaving the Parliament, but I will always be there for them.
In Castlemilk, we have a facility that had been left to rot, having been run down over a number of years by the previous operators. When Covid came along, the place was shut down, with the goalposts chained away and the gates locked, apparently never to be reopened. Then along came John Harkins and his team, who started a “Save our pitches” campaign that got the support of local clubs and people. Two years later, they got the keys to the pitches, built their own changing rooms in a shipping container and used that for seven months before they persuaded the authorities to give them the keys to an existing run-down pavilion and a licence to operate it. A year later, they completed a 25-year lease on the pavilion. Anyone who has been to see it will understand the changes that they have made to the pitches, the surrounding area and the whole of Castlemilk.
There are now more than 1,000 people training or playing on the pitches every week. The team created a brand-new Castlemilk community football club, with walking football for the over-50s. Around 24 local families per week benefit from the Scottish Government and Scottish Football Association-supported extra time programme, which allows parents to work for longer before collecting their kids. Additional holiday programmes provide breakfast and a free hot lunch, and the club employs local people and has local volunteers who help to maintain the facility, manage the car park and provide space for all ages to congregate to combat isolation.
Due to time factors today, I cannot go into everything else that the club does. I am sure that he will not like me saying so, but John and the others who run the Barlia pitches are true community heroes. They are an example that should, and could, be followed in every area of Glasgow—and other cities—that suffers from the same levels of deprivation as many in Castlemilk have had to face over the years and the decades. That example perfectly shows how sport can be a positive force for good for both individuals and communities.
I again thank Brian Whittle for lodging his excellent motion and for giving me one final opportunity to talk so positively about my beloved Cathcart and some of the real heroes within it. I hope that I did okay for them.
10:12
I thank Brian Whittle for securing the debate. I have been here for two years, and he and I have had more conversations in the stairwells about sport, and the power of sport in people’s lives, than I care to remember. He is a true champion of sport in Scotland, and I hope that he will return to continue to put pressure on the Parliament to deliver for our young people and for everyone across Scotland.
I find sport incredibly important. I remember becoming a councillor in 2017. Not long after that, councillors were at a meeting at the Glasgow School of Art premises at Forres, up in Moray, where we had to do a prioritisation exercise about what we thought was important. I was sitting in a room with a bunch of independent councillors and some of my colleagues, and the subjects that came up were big things such as education, social care and gritting the roads. Sport came up, and I remember everyone trying to put that right at the far end of the scale, but, as a young parent at the time, I tried to argue that that was not where we should put it. I said that if we saw sport for what it is, we would put at the top, because it saves money for the future. If we can get people embedded in sport at a young age, we can save money that might be spent on later health problems. I lost the argument at the time, but still think, to this day, that we should make much more of sport.
Sport is not protected in council budgets and is an easy thing to cut when we are trying to ensure that we have enough social care or are dealing with additional support needs in schools. Sport can often get lost. In 2019-20, I tried to make the argument that Moray Council should be part of a project to bring a running track to the community, because an athletics club was training on what was basically a dirt pitch and I did not think that that was good enough. I think that we should have facilities across Scotland to enable people wherever they are, whether it is in rural or urban areas, to do the best that they can.
When my wife and I were parents with a young family, she had the pleasure of getting involved in the swimming club in Buckie, which meant that she got to spend her weekends with our daughter, indoors, at a nice warm poolside, while I had the pleasure of taking on the football side of things. I know nothing about football—I played rugby as a child and had nothing to do with football. However, I did my level 1.1 introduction to coaching course with the Scottish Football Association. I followed that with the level 1.2 course, and, in May this year, I will do the level 1.3 course. That will involve me spending nine hours learning about football, which I am still not sure that I know anything about.
I have toured around the north and north-east of Scotland with a group of young people, and I have never been prouder of what they have achieved since primary 1. We have 15 or 16 boys who have worked hard to gel as a team. Nothing gave me more pleasure than making them do press-ups when they said naughty words on the pitch.
All that shows the power of sport. My son has done incredibly well as a result of his group succeeding in coming together as a team, and my daughter has flourished as a result of the benefits that swimming brings. I commend everyone who is involved in running those activities. I recently attended the Scottish Amateur Swimming Association north district event in Aberdeen. It was incredible to see the hundreds of people in that building, from parents on the poolside to coaches and judges, as well as the swimmers, all of whom were doing an amazing job.
My message is that sport is incredibly powerful. As well as delivering future health outcomes, sport can bring communities together and reduce the amount of money that we need to spend on services.
Finally, I say a huge thank you to all the volunteers across the country, without whom our sports clubs simply would not work. I am talking about the parents—the mums and dads—the aunties, the uncles and all those who enable our sports clubs to work every day. As Brian Whittle said, the Parliament needs to give much more consideration to sport, and I hope that that will be the case in the next parliamentary session.
10:16
I am pleased to speak in Brian Whittle’s members’ business debate. When I saw the motion, I thought, “That’s the one I’ll make my final speech as an MSP in.” I know, from serving on committees with Brian over the past 10 years since he entered Parliament, that sport is an issue that he has consistently highlighted. I always remember a conversation that I had with him about Allan Wells, whose wife came from Kelty. When Allan Wells won the gold medal, his wife’s dad, Jock Wilkie, took the medal around schools to enthuse people about athletics and running. The energy that Brian Whittle has brought to the promotion of sport in the Parliament has been welcome.
I am a kind of glass-half-full type of person, and I believe that progress has been made over the 12 years for which I have been an MSP, although it is true that we need to do a lot more. One of the keys to that is getting people to work together. When it comes to sport in the area that I come from—Fife—I see loads of volunteers. Tim Eagle spoke about the role of volunteers. I see all the mums and dads and grandparents who are involved in sport at grass-roots level. The more we can support those people, the more chance we have of delivering sport across the country.
I live near a public park in Kelty. During the summer months, it is an absolute delight to see the number of children playing there. That is a result of the investment that Fife Council made in the park in 2012-13, including in an astroturf pitch that Kelty Hearts now play on. That is there for the public—it is a public park. Alongside that, there is a big new community centre. We can see the value of that.
Most of those activities are run by volunteers. We need to enhance that, which will involve local government, the Scottish Government and local communities working together. I am a passionate believer in devolution. If it was up to me, I would have far greater devolution to the Scottish Parliament. I also believe that there needs to be far greater devolution to local authorities.
We have had eight parliamentary debates on sport in this session since 2021—I checked that yesterday with the Scottish Parliament information centre; we have four cross-party groups in the Parliament that look at different aspects of sport; and we have a whole host of strategies. We have got that bit right, but we need to start implementing these things instead of just talking about them in places such as this.
Physical activity comes in many forms. My general practitioner used to tell me that the bus pass scheme for pensioners had done more for their health and wellbeing than his surgery could ever do, because it made those using the buses physically active. Indeed, I know, as someone who now regularly uses buses, that having to walk to get them makes me physically active.
I will finish on this story. Many years ago, when I was a councillor in Kelty, the local community came together to save a park, and it raised a whack of money—about £800,000 in total—for a play park. Way back then, there was a lady in Kelty called Mrs Gillespie, who was 100 years old, and we asked her to come and open the park, because we felt that it was symbolic to have the oldest person in Kelty open a park for the town’s children. I remember Jim Leishman coming up—this was before he became a councillor; at the time, he was a famous sportsperson who lived in Kelty—and there was a photo of him sitting on a swing with Mrs Gillespie on his knee and all the children round about. Every time I go past that park and see all the children playing in it, I think of how much of a success it has been.
That shows that we do not need massive investments—much can be done with small investments. The lesson is that if we can work and pull together, we can achieve so much.
10:21
First, I thank Brian Whittle for securing this much-anticipated members’ business debate and for championing sports throughout this parliamentary session. As members might know, I was a restaurateur in my former life, and it did not make me much of a morning person. However, sport has a way of changing people’s habits—so here I am for this unique early chamber business. I could not miss this debate.
As a teenager growing up in Edinburgh, sport was the highlight of my day. I would come back from school, throw my bag into the house and run to our local council-run open space to play football. Sport brought us all together, regardless of our social or cultural backgrounds. Our differences were set aside, and we connected.
Sport supports children’s mental wellbeing and improves discipline and performance in the classroom, and team sports help young people grow into better adults by teaching co-operation, respect and how to both win and lose with dignity. Research consistently shows that active children are far more likely to lead healthier lives as adults. I can certainly attest to that, and I have passed those values on to my own children.
Today, however, it is a different story from when I was a teenager. Many children and young people no longer have equal access to sports. The cost of booking pitches in Edinburgh is rising and many struggling families across the city have told me that they cannot afford to keep their children active.
One of my very first visits as an MSP in 2021 was to a summer basketball session at Tynecastle high school. Some of the young people told me that, without access to school facilities, they did not know how they would spend their summer and that they might start to get involved with things that they should not be getting involved with. That reflects a wider reality. We know the transformative power of sport: it not only builds friendships but keeps young people away from antisocial behaviour and reduces the risk of involvement with harmful substances.
Community initiatives are already using sport as a prevention tool to make neighbourhoods safer and more inclusive. A groundbreaking example is the Friday night lights project in Leith, which is delivered by the Leith community sport hub in partnership with Hibernian Community Foundation. It provides safe and engaging activities such as basketball, football, rugby and fencing as well as vital support to vulnerable young people.
Youth sport should also be a long-term priority, to ensure that Scotland finds its sporting talent and builds home-grown champions to compete in international games. That message should be sent across Scotland with full force, with the world cup and the Commonwealth games in Glasgow coming up and the Tour de France grand départ in Edinburgh next year.
In recent years, vital facilities have been closed due to funding pressures, such as swimming pools in West Lothian, which are lifelines for many constituents. We must do more, and local authorities need greater support to maintain and expand facilities.
Sport also plays a vital role in community cohesion. Through groups such as Scot Bangla sporting club and Scot Nepal club in Edinburgh, sport helps to integrate newcomers and celebrate diversity. Community organisations are doing remarkable work, but they cannot do it alone—they need sustained nationwide support.
Quite simply, sport is one of the most effective and affordable solutions to many of the societal challenges that we face today. If we are serious about improving mental health, reducing pressure on the national health service, tackling youth crime and strengthening communities, sport must be at the heart of our approach. Sport is not a luxury; it is a necessity in building a healthier, more connected and resilient Scotland.
10:26
I thank my colleague Brian Whittle for securing this excellent debate. I rise to speak about sport being a force for good with a mixture of pride, gratitude and a sense of coming full circle. This will be my last speech in the Parliament, and I can think of no better subject to close on than the power of sport, with regard to not just competition but community, compassion and change.
When we talk about sport as a force for good, we are not speaking in abstractions; we are speaking about places, people and projects that transform lives every single day. There is no better example of that than what is happening at Townhead park in Cumnock, in my constituency of Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley.
Cumnock Juniors Community Enterprise is, on the surface, a successful football club. It has a proud history, a trophy-winning junior team that inspires huge local pride and a vocal but good-natured rivalry with its next-door neighbour, Auchinleck Talbot Football Club.
However, to stop there would be to miss the point entirely, because what has been built around that club is something far more powerful than silverware; it is a model of what sport can and should be. At its heart is the simple but radical idea that everyone deserves access—not just the most talented or those who can afford it, but everyone.
That means creating opportunities for girls to take part and thrive in spaces that have not always welcomed them. It means opening the door for people who are in recovery, offering not just physical activity but purpose, belonging and hope. It means recognising that participation looks different at different stages of life, whether that is walking football, which is delivered in partnership with Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland and supports people to stay active and connected, or inclusive cycling opportunities for those with learning disabilities, which is developed alongside the Things Tae Dae club. Those are not add-ons; they are the point.
It does not stop there. Cumnock Juniors Community Enterprise understands that wellbeing is not just about what happens on the pitch; it is about the whole person, the whole family and the whole community. That is why it has developed goals for growth, which is an employability programme that meets people where they are at. The programme recognises that, for many, the first step towards work is not a CV workshop, but having a sense of confidence, routine and support that are built through sport and wellbeing activity. The programme connects participation with opportunity and aspiration with action.
Cumnock Juniors Community Enterprise also provides dignified food provision, because no one should need to choose between feeding their family and taking part in their community. That is also why it runs affordable and accessible holiday clubs, ensuring that children are not only fed during school breaks but have the chance to play, learn and simply be children.
That is what it means for sport to be a force for good. It is not just about health outcomes, although those matter a lot, and it is not just about the economic impact, although that matters, too; it is about dignity, inclusion and creating spaces in which people feel that they belong. If we are truly serious about tackling inequality, improving public health and strengthening our communities, we must recognise, support and invest in models like that.
The lessons from Cumnock are clear: when sport is rooted in community, led with compassion and open to all, it becomes one of the most powerful tools that we have for social change. I understand that only too well—and I wish that wee me had, too. As an undiagnosed ADHDer who participated in every sport going—especially the thrill-seeking ones such as diving, rugby, track and field, mountain biking, ringette and skateboarding—it helped to focus my really busy mind via activity and dopamine. Believe me, Presiding Officer, I had knocked-out teeth, broken bones and the scars to prove it.
As I prepare to step away from this Parliament, I am incredibly proud of the communities that I have had the privilege to represent, and I am also deeply hopeful, because of what I have seen in places such as Townhead park. Sport can change lives; in Cumnock, it already is.
10:30
I thank my friend and colleague Brian Whittle for bringing the debate to the chamber. The motion highlights something that most of us know instinctively, which is that sport and physical activity are about not only fitness, but also connection, confidence and community cohesion.
We all know about the health benefits of sport: stronger bodies, better mental health and reduced risk of serious illness. The United Kingdom chief medical officers even called physical activity the closest thing that we have to “a miracle cure”, which is spectacular news for the NHS. It is therefore disappointing that this Government, year after year, has failed to spend to save on the NHS; it has failed to save money and to save lives.
Health aside, sport also builds leadership, resilience and teamwork. It widens opportunity and brings people closer together, regardless of background, colour or creed. It can even help politicians to talk to one another like human beings, which is a miracle in itself.
I have represented Scotland at rugby—yes, in an actual Scotland shirt. In fact, I am confident that my brief international career was the inspiration behind fellow Galloway lads and Scottish stars Stafford McDowall and Alex Craig reaching the heights that they have. Sadly, my own promising future was cut short due to a highly technical flaw: my severe and incurable lack of ability. For full disclosure, if members have not already guessed, my Scottish appearances were for the Scottish Parliament team.
The Scottish Parliament rugby team is an example of the positives of sport. Members from every party take to the pitch and, for 80 minutes, forget about divisions—albeit that is probably mainly because we are all too busy trying to remember which direction we are meant to run in. However, a few years ago, at the pre-match reception at the British embassy in Dublin, the British ambassador said that he believed that it was the first time that all the major parties of the island of Ireland had been in the same room at the same time. That was an example of rugby bringing people together—and it was quite something.
Our annual fixture with our Irish parliamentary counterparts has forged genuine friendships over the years. I have donned their tie and I am wearing it as I speak. I have watched novice politician Neil Richmond go from councillor to senator to TD to Minister of State, which clearly proves that playing regular matches against us Scots is the secret to career progression. If that really worked, in Holyrood, we would have a queue around the block to join the squad.
Humour aside, nothing demonstrates the strength of that relationship more than the compassion that the Irish team showed when our friend and colleague David Hill tragically passed away during one of those fixtures. Their kindness in that moment will never be forgotten. It showed the true power of sport not only to unite, but to support and heal.
I will turn to my constituency, where, thankfully, others are considerably more talented than I am. We continue to punch well above our weight. That includes fellow Twynholm lad, motor sport star David Coulthard. Right across the sporting spectrum, they all started somewhere: they started at a local club. David, for example, started at the Cults Kart Club just outside Stranraer.
I have spoken before in the chamber about the enormous impact of community sports organisations such as Queen of the South’s Community Trust. Its work with young people, families and vulnerable groups is nothing short of outstanding. It is joined by Stranraer FC, St Cuthbert Wanderers and Threave Rovers, which are clubs that do more than simply field teams—they provide belonging, opportunity and purpose. In many communities, they are as essential as the village hall or the post office—just with better pies.
Curling, meanwhile, might be the sport that best captures the spirit of rural Scotland. Across Dumfries and Galloway, it brings together people of all ages—teenagers, pensioners, and everyone in between. Thanks to that community culture, we produce world-class curlers such as Grant Hardie, Hammy McMillan Jr, Bobby Lammie and Olympic champion Vicky Wright. There must be something in the water in Dumfries and Galloway—or, more likely, in the ice. We also have the brilliant Wigtownshire Ladies rugby team and the ever-dominant St Cuthbert’s walking football squad.
Finally, it may be indulgent, but I would like to have my proud dad moment. Eleven years ago, after a reluctant visit—or should I say being dragged—to an ice hockey match at the Ice Bowl in Dumfries, my daughter Vicky got the ice hockey bug and, within weeks, donned skates and pads. After travelling thousands of miles and visiting dozens of countries, Vicky captained the Great Britain women’s bandy team in the gold medal match at the world championships in Sweden on Saturday. For anyone who is wondering, bandy is the fastest ball game and a wonderful sport that blends ice hockey, field hockey and sheer chaos. Her team did us proud, losing out on the gold medal only in the last few minutes.
The motion states clearly that sport should be available to everyone, everywhere, regardless of circumstance—whether in the south of Scotland or the rest of the country. When we invest in sport, we invest in healthier people, stronger communities and a more cohesive and confident Scotland.
10:35
I congratulate Finlay Carson’s daughter and all the team, and I am sure that everyone would join me in doing so.
I thank Brian Whittle for bringing this debate to the chamber. Brian has been a brilliant champion of sport in this Parliament and, like other members, I appreciate all the work that he has done.
I pay tribute to my colleague Alex Rowley, who has given his last speech in Parliament. It is great to speak in the same debate. He has worked hard on many issues during his time here, raising matters from constituents and always offering to work across the chamber to ensure the best outcome for Scotland. I wish him well in his retirement. The Labour group will miss him and we will be poorer without his contributions.
During my time in Parliament, it has been a pleasure to meet numerous sporting organisations that do important work to promote the health, wellbeing and social benefits of sport. Recently, I had the pleasure of engaging with Netball Scotland, which does fantastic work to educate people on the reasons why sport, such as netball, matters. Netball is predominantly a sport for women. It has very passionate volunteers and seeks to bring together community and club level sport. The national team, known as the Scottish Thistles, represents Scotland across the world and is truly an inspiration to women and young girls across the country.
Last year, I nominated the Scottish Thistles captain, Emily Nicholl, to speak at time for reflection in Parliament. She highlighted netball’s power
“to shape lives, build resilience and inspire ambition”.—[Official Report, 2 December 2025; c 1.]
The Scottish Thistles are a great group of motivated, disciplined and educated women, and I wish them the best of luck as they compete in the Commonwealth games this summer.
Throughout the parliamentary session, as others have said, the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has done a great deal of work to understand barriers in sport, particularly in relation to participation, access and inequality. We know that access is not always equitable. Poverty and cost are significant barriers to access and participation. When considering sport and activity as a force for good, we need to be serious about addressing these barriers and recognise that, in some cases, those who would benefit the most from sport and activity are often those who are least likely to be able to access it. I hope that, in the next session of Parliament, further work will be carried out to promote potential solutions to break down those barriers.
Finally, I will reflect on the impacts of cuts to local services. The diving pool in the Citadel leisure centre in South Ayrshire is in my South Scotland region. It is the last remaining diving pool in the west of Scotland, with many people attending every week. However, the council’s recent decision to cut the programme means that, if divers want to continue, they will need to travel long distances to the east coast. That goes back to the point that other members made. What ends up being cut, and what are the unseen consequences of that? Sport should be about all the different types of sport, and people should have access to them in their communities whenever possible. The diving club is just one example of the many cuts that local authorities are having to make due to long-term underfunding. Those cuts have an impact on overall health and wellbeing. If we want to recognise the benefits of grass-roots sport and exercise, which goes beyond just health and wellbeing, we must consider how such services can be better protected, as they are often the first thing to be cut.
10:39
I thank Brian Whittle for bringing this important debate to the chamber. Mr Whittle’s motion rightly highlights that sport and physical activity are about far more than physical health. I commend him—as others have done—on his commitment to raising those issues in Parliament over the past 10 years. I have always had respectful and positive engagement with Mr Whittle, whether in the chamber or at committee.
Colleagues have also mentioned that the issues that we are highlighting relate to not only physical health, but mental wellbeing, confidence and strength in our communities. I will focus my remarks on an area where, although progress has been made, barriers still remain: the participation of women and girls in sport. As a member of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, I had the privilege of contributing to our inquiry on female participation in sport and physical activity. What we heard was clear. Although the benefits of sport are universal, access to those benefits is not. The evidence shows that a great gap in participation opens early, often around puberty, and continues into adulthood. That is not because girls and women value sport any less, but because the system too often does not work for them.
For teenage girls, the barriers can be immediate. Puberty brings physical change, along with increased self-consciousness, concerns about body image and practical challenges such as managing periods. Too often, those challenges are made worse by unsuitable facilities, a lack of privacy and clothing that does not meet teenage girls’ needs. However, the barriers are not only physical, but also cultural: we heard consistent evidence of negative attitudes from boys, girls being sidelined in physical education and playgrounds being dominated by boys’ activities. Those experiences matter, because they shape whether a young person feels that sport is for them, and that feeling can last a lifetime. Even when girls stay involved, they are often offered a narrower range of activities, which are still shaped by outdated assumptions about what girls will or should enjoy.
However, it is important to recognise that there has been progress. The Scottish Government’s women’s health plan is helping to normalise conversations about menstrual health, which is key to breaking down stigma. Programmes such as active schools are widening access and introducing girls to a broader range of sports. I have a wee shout-out here: Mr Carson mentioned the St Cuthbert Wanderers’ walking football group in Kirkcudbright; I had the joy to participate and play there. There is also a walking football group in Stranraer, which invited me to join in on a game. Although I did not score any goals, Presiding Officer, I was credited with a couple of assists.
The commitment to increase investment in sport and physical activity to £100 million a year provides a strong foundation to build on. Elena Whitham mentioned community—I want to give another wee shout-out. I welcome the fact that the minister visited Let’s Get Sporty in Dumfries last November. It is a social enterprise that has broadened its community involvement over 14 years to now include programmes such as let’s get mentored, let’s get training, let’s get heard, let’s get driving, let’s get ready and let’s get employed. There is a real community initiative going on there.
We cannot ignore the impact of cost. Fees rise when access to facilities is limited and, when equipment is expensive, participation becomes a privilege rather than something that everyone can enjoy. If we are serious about sport as a force for good, access must be genuinely universal; for sport to realise its full potential as a force for good, it must be a force for everyone. It means designing systems that work for women and girls, not expecting them to fit into systems that were never built with them in mind, and tackling cultural barriers as well as practical ones. If we get that right, we will not only improve participation but also improve health, strengthen our communities and unlock Scotland’s full potential.
I advise members that, given the number of members who still wish to speak in the debate, I am minded to accept a motion under rule 8.14.3 that the debate be extended by up to 30 minutes.
Motion moved,
That, under Rule 8.14.3, the debate be extended by up to 30 minutes.—[Brian Whittle]
Motion agreed to.
10:43
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am a match official and officiate matches for the Scottish Football Association.
I, too, congratulate Brian Whittle on securing the debate and on his excellent opening speech. Brian and I entered Parliament together almost a decade ago, in 2016. We very quickly formed the Scottish Conservatives run club with our former colleague John Lamont. From Tuesday to Thursday, we would go out running around Edinburgh almost daily. If Tim Eagle thought that it was difficult to get away from Brian Whittle’s discussions about sport in the corridors or in his office, he should try to get away from an Olympic runner who also tried to get that message across as we pounded the streets around Edinburgh. That showed me at that point that Brian Whittle was passionate about sport, and he has continued to be passionate about it in everything that he has done in the chamber and in the committees that he has served on, bringing sport to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee and his other committee roles.
Presiding Officer, this is not my final speech in the chamber. Members will be able to either enjoy or endure that later, depending on their own particular circumstances. However, when I saw that we were to have a debate about sport, I wanted to take part in it, because sport has been a big part of my life. I literally follow sport from the sidelines in my role as a match official but, more than that, as a parent of two boys in Moray, I give credit to the sporting organisations in Moray and across the Highlands that provide so many opportunities for young people—boys and girls—throughout the country.
I particularly want to mention Moray rugby club and its rugby festival, which was held at the weekend. We had literally hundreds of boys and girls from primary 1—or a bit earlier; my youngest, James, is four and he is not yet in primary 1, but he takes part in the youngest group—right up to the seniors, from right across the north-east. Indeed, two boys came down from Caithness. They had been told that their team was unable to take everyone down so they were not going to be able to take part in the Moray rugby festival. However, they were so determined that they encouraged their parents to drive all the way down from Caithness to Elgin and all the way home again, because they are passionate about rugby and they wanted to be involved. Like all the hundreds of others who were at the festival on Sunday, they enjoyed it. They got their medals and they shook hands after the matches.
To me, that shows what sport can do at every level and at every age. It can encourage people to take part. That participation is so important and the rewards are so great. However, none of that would be possible without the coaches at Moray rugby club, who turn up every Sunday and coach the boys and girls in all the age groups with great success. They put themselves through protecting vulnerable groups courses and, when they could be having a weekend off or they have other duties, they turn up because they want to pass something on to young people.
I also see that in football when I am officiating. We go around clubs up and down the country and we see the youth organisations. Finlay Carson mentioned the opportunities with Queen of the South. At the Education, Children and Young People Committee last week, we heard Spartans Community Foundation and the Denis Law Legacy Trust speak about the work that they do, both here in the capital and up in the north-east, to help and enable young people through their love of sport.
In a year when we have the world cup coming up, with Scotland’s first participation in it since 1998, and the Commonwealth games, we have a great opportunity as a country and as a Parliament to get more people involved in sport, and that is what we should all seek to do.
An issue that has come up time and again in the debate is funding. That will always be an issue and there are not unlimited pots of money, but we can make it easier for clubs and organisations to access funding. Having to look for funding on an annual basis means that a lot of the time that coaches and others could be spending on improving the opportunities for young people is spent on filling out forms to try to secure or re-secure funding. If we can get multiyear funding for a number of the clubs and organisations, that will go a great way towards improving the opportunities.
I am delighted to speak in this debate and I whole-heartedly support everything in Brian Whittle’s motion.
10:48
The first time that I spoke to Brian Whittle was when he first came into the Parliament. We were having one of those team photographs on the garden lobby stairs. I approached him and said, “You know, Mr Whittle, my father is currently turning in his grave because one of his sporting heroes is a Tory.” However, I felt duty bound to speak in this debate because Brian Whittle has spoken in many of our debates on sport, and I thank him for bringing this debate to the chamber.
Sport can change lives in so many ways. When I was growing up in Paisley, sport was not always about elite pathways or podiums—it was about belonging. I have always known that I am not good enough to play centre-half for St Mirren, although I got a better call-up to represent our town here in the Parliament as Paisley’s MSP. However, sport is where people find their pals and, as James Dornan said, where they find their confidence. For many people, it is where they find themselves. It builds resilience, because people lose more often than they win—let us be honest: as a St Mirren fan, I learned that lesson a long time ago.
Sport also builds character and teaches discipline. It gives young people a sense of purpose and direction, and that matters now more than ever. Sometimes, sport can save people. It creates healthy lifestyles. It is not always about elite sport; it is also about friends playing five-a-side once a week, thinking that they are Maradona or Messi. In communities across Paisley, local clubs and volunteers are doing extraordinary work every day. They do not always get the headlines, but they deserve our support.
I want to talk about Brian Whittle directly. As a wee boy, I did not know him as a politician; I knew him as an athlete. I watched him compete for Scotland with real pride—pride that I knew came from him. He was an outstanding Scottish Olympian, and he can still get from the chamber to the canteen more quickly than I can. I might not agree with him politically—he is a Tory, after all—but I recognise and respect his contribution to sport in this country.
That is the point of the debate. Sport cuts across divides, breaks down barriers of class, colour, religion and background, and it brings people together in a shared passion. In a world that often feels divided, that really matters. If we are serious about improving health, strengthening our communities and building a fairer Scotland, investing in sport is not optional but essential, because sport does not only change lives; it can transform them.
I sincerely thank members for their co-operation in more or less sticking to their agreed speaking slots. We have been able to hear from everybody. I have made a list with the clerk—I think that 14 sports have been covered thus far—and we are still to hear from the minister. No pressure, minister.
10:51
Tapadh leibh, Oifigeir Riaghlaidh—thank you, Presiding Officer. I thank Mr Whittle for bringing this important motion to the chamber and all members for their contributions this morning. I have had the great privilege of serving as the minister for sport since May 2021, and I have witnessed at first hand the powerful positive influence that sport and physical activity have across Scotland. They improve physical and mental health, strengthen communities, boost resilience and confidence, enrich lives and open doors to new opportunities.
Sport is unquestionably a force for good, with the power to change lives. One of my earliest visits as sport minister was to Street Soccer Scotland’s change centre in Dundee, which demonstrates the life-changing impact that sport can have. I later visited the street 45 programme in Edinburgh, which supports women who have experienced significant challenges in their lives. In both places, I met participants whose journeys were nothing short of inspirational and who spoke openly about how sport had supported them through homelessness, addiction, mental health challenges and social isolation. For many people, sport provides purpose, structure and belonging. When young people experience regular and enjoyable physical activity early in life, they are much more likely to stay active in adulthood. Physical literacy, confidence and the simple joy of movement are all built in childhood.
That is why our delivery of the commitment in this parliamentary session to make the active schools programme free to all pupils was crucial. The programme operates across every local authority and provides accessible opportunities before, during and after school. In my time as minister, I have had the privilege of visiting active school programmes and meeting recipients of Sport Scotland’s school sports awards. I have been consistently impressed by the incredible teachers and coaches who create such opportunities, as well as by the young people who so clearly and confidently articulate how sport has enriched their lives. In 2023, I recall visiting St Cuthbert’s Roman Catholic primary school to present it with a gold award. The local cricket club was working alongside the school’s active schools programme, helping to engage pupils in a way that reflected the interests and heritage of the local south Asian community.
Children form ideas about what is achievable based on what they see around them. If young people see someone of their gender, ethnicity, body type or ability represented in sport, it can become a catalyst for aspiration, confidence and participation. Our belief in the importance of sport and physical activity for children and young people is demonstrated by the £20 million investment in this year’s summer of sport programme. That will provide inclusive opportunities for children and young people to get active and stay active, and to improve their lives, with a particular focus on reducing barriers to participation and on addressing poverty‑related inequality. As we look forward to our exciting summer of sport, we know that it has the power to unite people and inspire the nation.
If I could digress just for a second, I do not think that the Scottish Parliament rugby team inspired a nation, but, my goodness, there are not many places where I might be found on the same team as Brian Whittle, Jamie Halcro Johnston and Fin Carson. Sport has the power to bring together people with very—very—differing views, and we are all the better for having had those opportunities.
We have seen how Scotland has been uplifted by the men’s national football team successfully qualifying for the football world cup, and we will all be behind them this summer. They are not the only ones. The Scottish women’s cricket team has qualified for the very first time for the women’s T20 world cup this summer. Our Scottish women’s hockey team has qualified for the hockey world cup for the first time since 2002. I wish them all the very best. Their achievements will inspire young people across Scotland to get involved, leading to healthier and more active communities.
That sense of inspiration is also reflected through Scottish women and girls in sport week, which is always a highlight of my year. Meeting so many inspirational women and girls has reinforced the importance of creating safe, supportive and inclusive environments, where they feel confident to take part without fear of judgment.
Increasing rates of participation has been a priority for the Government, and access to facilities and community clubs is central to achieving it. Since 2007, sportscotland has invested more than £214 million in improving sports facilities nationwide. In Mr Whittle’s constituency, investment has supported improvements at Annan rugby club and Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club, and it has enabled the creation of a new hub for the Stranraer Water Sports Association.
Those projects highlight our commitment to expanding access to high-quality facilities and encouraging active, healthy communities. From a preventative standpoint, we recognise the evidence that even modest increases in activity levels can help prevent illness, reduce pressure on health services and contribute to healthier, longer lives. That is why our physical activity for health framework takes a whole-systems approach to embedding movement in everyday life.
Equally important is the positive impact of physical activity on mental health. Across Scotland, people of all ages use sport to manage stress, build self-esteem and stay connected. Walking groups, community football, swimming, running clubs and dance classes all help people to maintain wellbeing and social connection.
Just last week I visited Hollandbush Golf Club for the launch of the Golf in Society programme, which is making a profound difference to mental health and wellbeing for people facing challenges later in life. By combining gentle physical activity with meaningful social interaction, the programme shows how inclusive, community-based sport can enhance quality of life for older people and their carers. Across all ages and backgrounds, sport remains a powerful force that strengthens communities and improves lives.
I finish by acknowledging the thousands of volunteers, coaches, parents, teachers and community leaders across Scotland who dedicate their time, energy and passion to supporting others. Without them, people would not benefit from all that sport provides.
I again thank Brian Whittle for lodging the motion and for providing me with this opportunity to reaffirm the Government’s commitment to ensuring that everyone can experience the life-changing benefits of sport and physical activity. That commitment is demonstrated by the £40 million of increased investment that was announced in this year’s budget. When we invest in sport, we invest in health, in wellbeing, in community and in Scotland’s future.
That concludes the debate. There will be a short pause before we move on to the next item of business.