27/05/2004 Caithness Sports Council Development Plan 2004/2005
The Sports Council exists to promote sport, encourage cooperation between sporting clubs, maximise use of sport facilities and publicise and promote events.
Any sports club in Caithness is welcome to affiliate provided they meet minimal standards of conduct. We also have associate members who join to make use of our minibus. Individual membership is available for any sportsperson whose sport does not have a club in Caithness.
The Sports Council is comprised of 4 representatives from each of four cognate groups:
We have representatives from voluntary groups, disabled sports and 2 junior representatives. The primary and secondary schools , school and area sports development officers and community learning are represented. Two local councillors are nominated by the Caithness area committee of the Highland Council and we have a representative from Caithness & Sutherland Enterprise (CASE), as our two funding bodies.
The council normally meets quarterly to approve grants proposed by the finance sub-committee and to receive reports from Scottish Association of Local Sports Clubs (SALSC) and Highland Sports Development Association (HSDA) representatives.
The council disburses funds to member clubs in the following categories:
Caithness sports groups are particularly disadvantaged in travelling to take part in competitive events so the council has a special category for travel grants and places great importance on maintaining a minibus.
Volunteers willing to develop sports are always at a premium and need encouragement. Caithness is unique in Highland in not having a sports facility.
In the coming year we aim to:
Increase support for youth sports Encourage training for coaches Look at ways to further assist the start-up of new clubs Look for new ways of promoting sports events and participation, including seeking additional funding Launch a website to allow sports groups access to information, availability of grants, application forms, sporting news, etc.
Specifically, we intend to help in the provision of a surf facility at Thurso harbour, giving storage, changing, showers and judging provision.
Plans for a sports centre for Caithness are in disarray following the failure of our consultant to complete his report and reduction of funds from bodies such as SportScotland. In conjunction with the Highland Council, we will develop a two centre approach, based on complementary sports campuses at Wick and Thurso High Schools. This will augment the existing provision, including the new all-weather pitch planned for Wick, and build on the community school approach now championed by the Highland Council.
