JIM LOGUE Hall of Fame achievers inspire us all

Next week will see a further eight remarkable residents inducted into the North Lanarkshire Sporting Hall of Fame, which is located in Ravenscraig Sports Centre.

The inductees are all suggested by people in North Lanarkshire and huge numbers of you took the time to tell us why these sports-people should be in the Hall of Fame.

Last year’s inductees demonstrated extraordinary qualities.

Some – like the Lisbon Lions, John Higgins and Ricky Burns – are famous throughout the world.

Others are well-known in their chosen sports; while some have made outstanding contributions to our communities in North Lanarkshire.

But they all have one thing in common. In their own ways, they are inspiring people.

They all inspire in different ways: battling adversity, encouraging participation and healthy lifestyles, and promoting North Lanarkshire and Scotland.

Sport is a powerful vehicle for all these things, and more, and that’s why it is central to our ambition for North Lanarkshire and we have made huge investments in developing facilities.

It’s why we are a proud host venue for the rowing and triathlon competitions at our world-class venue in Strathclyde Country Park for the Glasgow 2018 European Sports Championships, a role we also fulfilled for the triathlon and cycling time trials at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

I would encourage as many people as possible to attend some of the events, which take place from August 2-12.

The championships will be broadcast to a television audience of more than a billion people, showcasing North Lanarkshire on a global stage.

And we can use events like this to inspire children to participate in sport and exercise.

I was encouraged by the recent news from sportscotland that participation in community sport hubs are on the rise.

In North Lanarkshire we have nine hubs, which bring together sports clubs and schools to help communities enjoy sport in quality facilities.

Decisions are made by people in local communities and it’s a programme we’re really delighted to support.

But it’s far from the only thing we are doing. All the research tells us that active, healthy lifestyles lead to better concentration in schools and can ultimately help pupils achieve more.

North Lanarkshire Leisure has a ground-breaking initiative which allows S5 and S6 pupils on study leave free use of gym facilities, giving pupils who are studying hard some muchneeded down time – and the chance to stay fit too.

These sit alongside holiday camps, which offer dedicated coaching in a whole range of sporting activities.

Year-on-year these have proved increasingly popular and we are doing all we can to encourage more young people to lead active lifestyles and excel in individual sports.

The reason for creating a Sporting Hall of Fame in North Lanarkshire is to inspire future generations, and I’m certain that young people visiting Ravenscraig for training will look at the large, colourful panels along the main corridor and realise the singleminded determination it takes to achieve sporting success.

To find out more about NL Leisure’s study leave and sport camps, please visit www.nlleisure.co.uk.

We are a proud host venue for the rowing and triathlon at our world-class venue in Strathclyde Country Park

Local hero Ricky Burns was presented with his award for entering last year’s North Lanarkshire Sporting Hall of Fame by boxing promoter Eddie Hearn