Sport hub idea for Forres

A COMMUNITY development officer is looking for support for a sports hub in Forres where clubs in town can pool resources.

Sport hubs are Sport Scotland’s contribution to the Scottish Government’s 2014 Commonwealth Games legacy plan, bringing together local clubs and physical activity providers to work together, providing more opportunities for the community to get involved in sport.

Craig Barron has set a date of November 20 for a meeting with organisations in Forres to see if they want to pull together and form a local hub steering group to increase local membership and participation.

"Hubs in Elgin, Buckpool (Buckie), Miltonduff and Fochabers have received support and funding from Sports Scotland since they were set up," said Craig. "I want to see if sports clubs in Forres want to follow their example."

He believes that a sports hub in Forres would help identify the needs of the community.

"We want input from as many organisations as possible," he said. "The hub is a concept and doesn’t have to be at a fixed place. If required, the Forres sports hub could materialise as a website."

A steering group will be formed after the initial meeting then a framework will be submitted to Sports Scotland.

"They will then set a budget for Forres to accommodate some of the needs of the clubs here. However, the community sports hub can also apply to other funding bodies for help such as the National Lottery fund, Awards For All or the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund."

Anyone interested in the idea can phone Craig on 07970974857 is or attend the initial meeting from 7pm on November 20 at Forres House Community Centre.