SPORTS MINISTER TO VISIT JOHNSTONEBRIDGE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TRUST INITIATIVE
Minister for the Commonwealth Games and Sport Shona Robison MSP will next week pay a visit to Johnstonebridge Community Development Trust near Lockerbie.
Ms Robison accepted an invitation to visit the trust in the village of Johnstonebridge, who are in the process of putting together their own community sports hub; creating a real village centre for the first time where community, leisure, sport and education facilities are on the same site.
The visit is intended as an opportunity for the Trust to show the Minister their achievements to date.
The Community have completed all the earth work and opened a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) adjacent to their primary school this year – all through their own fund raising.
They have finalised plans for a multi-purpose hall and secured an Awards for All grant together with other funding awards for play equipment for children of all ages.
In the future they also plan tennis courts and a bowling green on the same site; and were recently awarded £100’000 from the Scottish Land Fund to buy 4 small sites of land which will be used to generate income for the community sports facilities.
Ms McAlpine said:
“The work of the Trust is very much in the spirit of what the Scottish Government are trying to encourage in community sports hubs.
“They are responding to local need in a very rural community with few facilities but where the village has recently seen an influx of young families as a result of new build homes and I am sure the Minister will be impressed with their achievements to date.”
