McGrigor signs up to VoteforSport

The Scottish Sports Alliance’s VoteforSport campaign was launched on 21st September 2010 with the support of Margo MacDonald MSP and Rhona Martin MBE. It is designed to raise the profile of sport throughout the Scottish Parliamentary Elections in 2011.

The campaign is encouraging MSPs and Potential Parliamentary Candidates to sign up to the following statement;

“I pledge to recognise the unique role, value and potential of sport in Scottish society and upon my election to the Scottish Parliament I will act as a Scottish Sporting Champion throughout my term in Parliament’.

In the run up to the Scottish Parliament’s debate on sport in Scotland’s communities, Jamie McGrigor, Argyll-based Highlands & Islands MSP and the Conservative candidate for Argyll and Bute in the 2011 Scottish Election,  has promptly signed up. He is a former Sports Spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives.

He says: ‘The Scottish Sports Alliance is to be commended for all the work it does in ensuring the importance of sport remains at the forefront of the minds of policy makers.

‘Sport is not only good for physical health but for mental health too and has a crucial role in teaching our young people key interpersonal skills like teamwork and communication’.

Scottish Sports Association Board Member & former Scotland Rugby International, Scott Hastings, says: ‘If this campaign is to succeed we need to encourage sport in all areas of society and recognise the huge impact that sport has on our nation.

‘There are many things that need to be done but having sport on the political agenda could significantly benefit the health of our country whilst promoting Scotland’s sporting profile.

’2011 is a huge opportunity for all those involved in sport, from the local community clubs up to the highest stage to promote sport as a campaign issue. I urge everyone who plays, spectates or just loves sport to log on to www.voteforsport.com and pledge their support to show Scotland truly cares about sport.

‘My vision is to see every school child playing sport in Scotland on a regular basis every week and that sport is accepted as part of Scotland’s future well being’.

Brian McKelvie, Chair of the Scottish Sports Association, says: ‘The campaign has been received very positively and all major parties have been supportive. It is great to be here in the Scottish Parliament to see more MSPs signing up to support sport in Scotland’.

The campaign will not only encourage MSPs and candidates for next year’s election to sign the Pledge but will also deploy the power of the some 900,000 men and women who take part in sport in Scotland.

Policy Director of the Scottish Sports Association, Kim Atkinson, notes that ‘… sport is undoubtedly Scotland’s greatest social movement; with 1 in 5 people in Scotland a member of one of our 12,000 sports clubs. VoteforSport will give this constituency a voice for the first time in Scottish elections’.