Scotland
UK
Ireland
London
A total of £1.8m in funding has been awarded through the Scottish Government's CashBack for Communities programme for new 3G pitches.
CashBack works by taking money recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) and reinvests it back into schemes in local communities.
This is the second wave of funding from the CashBack for Pitches fund, specifically for these state-of-the-art synthetic pitches, and a focus has been given to those areas which experience antisocial behaviour and crime.
Applications for funding were invited from partnerships between local authorities and local football and rugby clubs before being assessed by a panel comprising officials from sportscotland, Scottish Rugby, the Scottish FA, WREN and the Scottish Government's Sport and Physical Activity Division. Each successful project will receive £300,000 and have been awarded to:
• Cumnock Juniors Community Enterprise at Townhead Park, Cumnock
• South Ayrshire Council at Marr Playing Fields, Troon
• Renfrewshire Council at Castlehead High School, Paisley
• West Lothian Council at Linlithgow Leisure Centre
• Craigie Community Sports Hub at Craigie High School, Dundee
• Aberdeen Sports Village Ltd. at Aberdeen Sports Village.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "This is a momentous year for sport in Scotland and the Commonwealth Games is providing young people across the country with the perfect inspiration for getting into sport.
"CashBack for Communities seizes money from some of the very worst of society and can provide those who have struggled at the start of their lives with fantastic personal and sporting opportunities.
"3G pitches can be used by every section of the community, young and old, however young people are very much our focus for this latest investment.
"This scheme, introduced by this Government in 2007, has already invested or committed £74 million for projects and initiatives right across the country. This additional money will take the number of 3G pitches funded since 2007 to 77."
(JP/IT)
