Dave Thompson MSP

Dave Thompson, SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch recently (13/01/16) used a Portfolio Question in the Scottish Parliament to ask the Minister for Sport and Health Improvement, Jamie Hepburn, how the Scottish Government supports and promotes participation in Highland sports, including shinty and Highland games heavy events.

Mr Thompson said, “I am encouraged by the Sports Minister’s commitment to protect our Highland Games traditions and in particular, that the Scottish Government is supportive of the development of the Highland Heavy Athletics Events.

“There has been a marked increase in the number of foreign heavies and a reduction in the number of Scottish heavies participating in the games and I fear that if we do not provide more support and encouragement for young folk to get involved in heavy events, then in five or 10 years, there will not be any Scottish heavies competing in Highland games.

“I am pleased that Sportscotland’s active schools programme provides a range of extracurricular opportunities for children and young people to get active, including the heavy events, such as hammer throwing and shot putt and that these sessions have been taking place all over Scotland”.

Note:

Official Report from 13/01/16 Below:

Highland Sports (Participation)

10. Dave Thompson (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Government how it supports and promotes participation in Highland sports, including shinty and Highland games heavy events. (S4O-05243)

The Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health (Jamie Hepburn): The Scottish Government is committed to protecting the Highland games as a tradition enjoyed by many communities across Scotland. Our national agency for sport, sportscotland, shares that commitment and recognises the Scottish Highland Games Association as the governing body of traditional Highland games in Scotland.

We are also providing the Camanachd Association with funding of up to £546,000 between 2015 and 2019 to support and develop shinty.

Dave Thompson: The minister will be well aware that I attend many Highland Games in the summer in my constituency. There has been a marked increase in the number of foreign heavies and a reduction in the number of Scottish heavies participating in the games. I fear that, if we do not up our game and provide even more support and encouragement for young people to get involved in heavy events, in five or 10 years, there will not be any Scottish heavies competing in Highland games.

Jamie Hepburn: One of the advantages that Mr Thompson has over me is that there will be many more opportunities to attend Highland games in his constituency than there are in mine. I certainly concur that it is important that we do what we can to support the development of the heavy events that are part of the various Highland games across the country. Working in partnership with local authorities and others, sportscotland’s active schools programme provides a range of extracurricular opportunities for children and young people to get active and to stay active across a wide range of sports and physical activities. Heavy events such as hammer throwing and shot put are categorised under athletics in the active schools programme.

Although I cannot provide a breakdown for specific activities within athletics, I know that sessions for athletics took place at schools in all 32 local authorities during the 2014-15 academic year. The Government always stands ready to consider any proposals that are made in good faith as to how we can further support involvement in physical activity and sport across the country.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10302&i=94777