RYA Scotland welcome uplift to sport funding in Scotland

RYA Scotland is delighted with the Scottish Government’s decision this week to significantly increase sports funding in the coming year, with a clear focus on supporting the work of governing bodies such as ourselves and in turn the sailing and boating community here in Scotland.

The announcement comes in the wake of the powerful Running on Empty campaign supported by over 30 governing bodies including RYA Scotland, highlighting how sports in Scotland were struggling to operate amid increasing financial pressures and standstill funding decisions over the last five years.

In 2021, the Scottish Government pledged to double annual funding to £100m per year by 2026 but had yet to increase sport’s annual budget during the current Parliament.

The Running On Empty campaign shone a strong light on the risks created by the lack of funding especially around the valuable work done by governing bodies at grassroots, community and elite levels. The campaign was also a highly effective way of showcasing the positive power of sport to deliver better public health outcomes, vital community programmes and support top level athletes in all sports.

In this week’s Budget, Cabinet Secretary for Finance Shona Robison revealed a total uplift of £40m for sports funding in 2026. Around £18m of that will go to sportscotland with a focus on supporting sports governing bodies (SGBs) and their day-to-day operational needs.

This announcement shows that the Government listened and has clearly recognised how important sport is to public health, community programmes and showcasing Scotland on a global stage.

While RYA Scotland is delighted the Government listened and responded, our work isn’t done. This is an election year, and we want to continue to use our collective voice to ensure that all parties commit to investing in sport.

We are also pleased to see that the Government has shown its commitment by announcing plans for a Summer of Sport, focussed on providing free to access sporting experiences for young people across Scotland. This needs to be a celebration that demonstrates the value of all sports and does not simply focus on those with the highest profile.