MSPs invite views to help remove barriers to grassroots sport

A Holyrood committee is seeking the public's views on removing barriers to participation in grassroots sport.

The Health and Sport Committee is gathering the information as part of its Sport for Everyone'' inquiry.

Its interim report, published earlier this month, found that there is still work to be done in encouraging more people to take part in grassroots sport, more than two years on from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The committee is looking for examples of community-based projects and ways of promoting volunteering.

MSPs also hope to address the reasons behind on-going difficulties in local people accessing school facilities for sport.

Committee convenor Neil Findlay said: Increasing participation in sport and physical activity was a key aim of the Commonwealth Games and the new infrastructure that was built around the games.

We know some of the barriers to people getting involved, such as time, cost and difficulties in accessing facilities, but we want to know what work is being done in communities to try and break those barriers down.

There was a huge interest in volunteering around the games, but that level of interest hasn't been sustained.

We need to know what the barriers are to people taking up volunteering opportunities because volunteers are central to the success of community sport.''

Submissions can be made to the committee until June 30.