Funding | Governing bodies “running on empty”
SPORTING bodies across Scotland have written to the First Minister urging him to use the upcoming Scottish Budget to deliver on the Scottish Government’s pledge to double annual sports funding.
Many say that a real terms funding cut over last four years means they are now “running on empty”. This is at a time when the global sporting spotlight falls on Scotland with this week’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Scotland is also hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the Tour de France Grand Depart in Edinburgh in 2027 and Euro 2028.
In its 2021 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government pledged to double annual sports funding to £100m from the current level of £50m per year. As the current Parliament enters its last few months, that target remains unmet.
The Scottish Governing Body for Sport Forum (SGB), which represents senior leaders in sports across Scotland, is warning John Swinney that a perfect storm of rising costs. Increased demand and reduced real terms funding threatens the ability of many to continue to operate properly and reduces their ability to support vital community programmes.
Around 800,000 people – 15% of the Scottish population – are members of just under 8,000 sports clubs affiliated to SGBs. Sport directly contributes £6.7 billion to the total output of the Scottish economy and supports nearly 70,000 full time jobs.
Post-Covid budget challenges and pressures elsewhere have been cited as why the funding uplift never materialised. However last year, the Government found over £30m for arts and culture after they cited similar challenges to sport and more money has been pledged for that sector this year.
Letter to the First Minister
Ahead of the final budget before the next election, the governing bodies have urged the First Minister and Finance Secretary to deliver the promised funding boost to avoid the crisis worsening.
In the letter to John Swinney and Shona Robison, they want assurances: “that investment in sport remains a priority, as it was in 2021 and as you prepare for the final Budget before this Parliament comes to an end, this commitment remains”.
Doc McKelvey, chief executive of Scottish Gymnastics and chair of SGB Forum said:
“Overall funding of sport from the Government is just under £50m per year and the amount of that to governing bodies is considerably less. That is a real terms cut over the last four years when inflation is considered.
“To be clear, this is funding to allow governing bodies to operate at even the most basic level. We’ve had to mend and make do over the last few years but for many, we are now running on empty.”
While the impact that the lack of funding has on facilities has been publicised, much of the work of SGBs goes on in the background which means the impact can be less visible publicly.
Survey across sports
A survey of 30 Scottish sports organisations conducted by consultancy 56° North, found almost all have had to cut costs, reduce programmes and in some cases lose staff just to be able to keep going. The bodies also said the real terms cuts means sport is becoming less inclusive and less able to help achieve desired health and social cohesion outcomes.
The survey also found that most organisations have had to increase membership fees, cut back on community programmes, take smaller squads to competitions and were unable to fund significant numbers of athletes competing on the world stage who often have to pay for events out of their own pockets. In addition,
- 88% of SGBs are concerned about their capabilities/future if no additional budget is provided.
- 48% are concerned about their reduced capacity to attend/host events.
- 24% are concerned about grassroots involvement
- 25% are concerned about inclusion of women/girls
- 32% are concerned about shortage of officials/staff/trainers due to salary/budget constraints
- The total payroll costs of those SGBs with the greatest reliance on public funding has grown by over
- £7m in the past four years. Over the same period, sportscotland has only been able to support an increased investment of £1.4m due to funding constraints.
Call for urgent action
The SGBs say they have had positive discussions with Government ministers but are calling for urgent action and in addition will be asking all political parties contesting next year’s Holyrood elections, to commit to matching and fulfilling the pledge as well as supporting a more sustainable long term funding approach.
Nick Rennie, chief executive of Scottish Cycling said: “This crisis affects all bodies, big and small. We are operating under unsustainable financial pressures, which are having a significant impact on the decisions we make and will continue to have to make if we do not receive additional financial support.
“The Scottish Government has been sympathetic to our position, and we understand the challenges they have faced and are facing, but the truth is, we’re running on empty.”
Wider benefits from sport at risk
The most recent Scottish Household Survey results from 2023 showed that 37% of adults and 38% of children do not meet the recommended physical activity levels. This represents a worsening position from prior years.
The programme budgets that have been cut are often those that have been used to address issues of inequality, to develop targeted and specific initiatives for underrepresented groups. They also help maintain support for athletes representing their country, rather than passing further cost increases on to them. For example, an international training camp and competition for a group of Scottish athletes is estimated to have increased in cost by circa 25 – 35% over the past five years.
Judith McCleary, Chief Executive of JudoScotland said: “Many SGBs are finding it increasingly challenging to retain good people with staff turnover at every level continuing to grow. By way of an example, 28% of governing bodies have had to recruit a new CEO in the last 12 months, with leaders sourcing other more attractive opportunities, within or outwith the sport sector.”
Governing bodies say they have taken mitigating actions by increasing membership fees, reducing programme budgets, and exploring alternative funding streams but that all options have now been exhausted and if investment is not forthcoming, then the consequences will mean further programme cuts, membership fee increases and potentially more redundancies.
Background
In its 2021 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government said:
“We will double investment in sport and active living to £100 million a year by the end of the Parliament ensuring more people can enjoy active lives as we recover, improving physical, mental and social health. In addition to raising physical activity levels, this will allow us to rebuild capacity and resilience in the sector following closures during the pandemic. We will work with sportscotland and partners to understand how best to increase investment in physical activity and sport; while ensuring we address inequality of access.”