The North Accessible watersports given £22k cash boost
DISABLED canoeists will be able to enjoy the facilities of a North Glasgow watersports centre under new plans. Glasgow Watersports was awarded £22,684 from Sportscotland in the latest round of funding from their sports facilities cash pot.
The organisation plans to create a new accessible pontoon at the popular Pinkston Watersports centre in Port Dundas.
They plan to offer disability canoeing sessions with the Scottish Canoe Union.
A new floating jetty at the centre will be more stable than the existing pontoons which should make it easier for people less confident on the water or who have mobility issues to get in and out of their canoes or kayaks.
Sportscotland also hopes that increasing the total capacity of the centre will allow more people in nearby areas to take advantage of the centre.
It comes after plans to redevelop the canal as a major attraction in the city for people looking for a nice place to exercise.
Millions have been spent regenerating the area since it was reopened in 2001 and we told last year how researchers had drawn a link between proximity to the canal and a faster decline in death rates in areas closer to the canal than those further away.
Hannah Blair, general manager at Glasgow Watersports, said: “The ‘Paddlesports for All’ partnership behind this project are passionate about making paddlesports accessible to all, and the new pontoon and adaptive equipment is a massively significant step in making Pinkston a more inclusive site that
Sport and physical activity can play a part in Scotland’s recovery from Covid-19
will also improve the experience for existing users.”
She added that the new pontoon would go “such a long way” to making watersports accessible for people of all levels of physical ability and confidence.
Stewart Harris, the head of
Sportscotland, praised the “ambition and commitment” from the projects awarded funding, which saw more than £900,000 distributed between 11 projects throughout the country.
He added: “We know that sport and physical activity can play a part in Scotland’s Covid-19.
“Facilities like these will not only allow more people to participate but can also provide a place for communities to come together and support one another as we work our way out of these challenging times.” recovery from