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ALDI INVESTS £8,000 IN WEST AND SOUTH-WEST SCOTLAND SPORTS CLUBS

Aldi has invested £8,000 in ten local sports clubs across West and South-West Scotland this year as part of the supermarket’s annual Scottish Sport Fund.  

Dedicated to improving investment in grassroots sport, the fund gives local clubs the chance to receive funding ranging from £500 to £2,500.  

West Coast Beach Volleyball secured the top prize in the region, receiving £2,500 which has helped fund the club’s junior sessions. Other clubs that have benefitted from this year’s Scottish Sport Fund include Clyde Judo Club and East Kilbride Cricket Club, which each received £1,000. 1^st Ardrossan Scouts, Solway Sharks Ice Hockey Club, Stewarton Tennis & Sports Club, Busby Amateurs Football Club, Ayr Archery Club, Annan Athletics Ladies Football Club and Stewarton Trampoline Club were also successful and received £500 each.  

Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund is an initiative that aims to help people of all ages to take part in physical activity within their local communities by giving the clubs the chance to secure much needed funding. Since launching in 2016, Aldi has invested over £58,000 and supported over 105 clubs across West and South-West Scotland, helping to improve community access to sports across the region.  

Samantha Fowler, West Coast Beach Volleyball, said: “West Coach Beach Volleyball is so pleased to have been awarded the highest funding of £2,500 by Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund.  

“Our club is run entirely by volunteers, and it was important to them that we could offer all our junior volleyball sessions for free. Thanks to Aldi’s funding, we were able to appoint two coaches dedicated to our junior sessions and run weekly evening sessions twice a week throughout the Summer, which were a huge success. The funding has also enabled us to scrap junior fees altogether and offer free volleyball training to anyone under 18.” 

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “It’s brilliant that a wide variety of sports clubs across West and South-West Scotland have been able to benefit from our Scottish Sport Fund initiative. It’s humbling to see how much of a difference extra funding can make to clubs like West Coach Beach Volleyball, and in supporting people across Scotland to lead an active and healthy lifestyle.”  

The Scottish Sport Fund is open to any sporting organisation in Scotland that meets the application criteria, from rugby clubs to after school groups and everything in between. Groups can apply for funding for a wide range of purposes, including new strips and equipment or to put towards the cost of training facilities and coaching.  

Team GB athlete, Katie Archibald, said: “Accessing funding can be very challenging for local sports clubs, however thanks to Aldi’s continued support and valuable donations over the years, sports clubs across Scotland are now able to reach their full potential in supporting the local community with a variety of sporting opportunities.” 

Aldi is a proud partner of Team GB and since 2015 has proudly supported every athlete throughout their journey, from training, to the big events with helpful initiatives like food vouchers to keep them fuelled. 

Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund is part of the retailer’s wider commitment to help cultivate a healthier Scotland, including weekly super 6 fruit and vegetable deals, a pledge to reduce salt levels in products in line with Government targets, and replacing confectionery, chocolate, and sweets at tills with dried fruits, nuts and water.  

For more information about Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund, please visit: www.aldi.co.uk/scottishsportfund.