FREE ACCESS TO SPORT

ALBA ARE THE PLUCKY UNDERDOG IN THIS ELECTION BUT CAN STILL LAND A “KNOCK OUT” BLOW
SAYS SALMOND AS HE CALLS FOR UNIVERSAL FREE ACCESS TO SPORT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Speaking today (Monday) at the Gym of Alex Arthur, the former World super featherweight boxing champion in Rose Street Edinburgh, ALBA Party Leader and Former First Minister Alex Salmond said:
” I am delighted to be at Alex Arthur’s Gym launching ALBA’s call for universal free access to sports facilities for Scotland’s young people.  As the First Minister who helped bring the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow, I know the importance of good sports facilities not just for our elite athletes but for the health and wellbeing of all of our young people.
” ALBA are pledging to make community sports facilities free to young people across the country as the country recovers from the Coronavirus. The fact is that sports facilities have become far too expensive and too many children and young people are being priced out of participating in sport. That is why we are bringing forward this measure to fund free access to sports facilities such as Golf, football pitches and swimming pools for young people under the age of 18. By introducing universal free access to sports facilities for children and young people we are giving every young person an equal opportunity to participate in sport and giving every young person the best possible start in life”
Speaking about ALBA’s prospects in the Election Alex Salmond said:
” ALBA are the plucky underdog in this Election.  Cut out of the TV leaders debates, written off by much of the media and dismissed by the establishment parties it remains my firm conviction that ALBA will deliver a ‘knock out’ blow at this Election that will achieve the Independence Supermajority and propel Scotland towards Independence. As our message gets through to voters that an SNP vote on the list is a wasted vote, which will not elect a single SNP MSP in almost every region, so people will conclude that it is only a List Vote for ALBA that will make both votes count for Independence at this Election.”
Speaking at the event ALBA Lead Candidate for Lothian Kenny MacAskill MP said:
“ALBA’s pledge on universal free access to sports facilities will be truly transformative with 125,000 children and young people aged 18 and under set to benefit across Lothian showing the real difference a vote for ALBA can make in this Election”.
Commenting on the Election Mr MacAskill said: “While the SNP drags its feet and the Greens are soft on Independence it is ALBA that are making Independence a priority in this Election by offering the most ambitious and radical manifesto of any of the parties”.  
ALBA Candidate in the West of Scotland Chris McEleny believes that ALBA’s proposal to make access to sport free for young people will make a massive impact on improving local communities and will help sustain Sports Clubs across Scotland as well as having a longer term benefit on health and inequality. Mr McEleny said:

“Free access to sports facilities for young people would be a game changer. From football clubs, to swimming clubs to, athletics clubs, this policy would make a real difference to communities. All too often people tell me that there simply isn’t enough for young people to do, but a major barrier to that is being priced out of sport.Delia Henry, who is also an ALBA candidate in the West of Scotland, and was previously Scotland Director for Diabetes UK has welcomed the benefits the policy can provide. She added: 
“ Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and improves both physical and mental health. All children and young people should do at least an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. This includes most sports and games. In Scotland, we have almost a quarter of a million children and young people between the agree of two and fifteen at risk of obesity and access to local grassroots sports would allow them the opportunity to have healthy lifestyles which would have lifelong positive impacts on their wellbeing.” 

ENDS

Notes to Editors: 
1.Across Scotland access to sports facilities has increased year on year, above inflation. Last year Sports Scotland’s Charges for sports facilities report showed in a review of benchmark prices that there was a 9.6% increase in the cost of golf to young people whereas swimming lessons increased by an eye-watering 14%.  

The report also shows a postcode lottery in the cost for youth football teams to access training and match facilities. The cost per hour for an outdoor synthetic (3G) pitch is £16.50 an hour in the Highland Council area but in Edinburgh City, youngsters are charged a staggering £84 per hour.  
2). Sports Scotland Charges for sports facilities: Scotland 2019/20 
https://sportscotland.org.uk/media/5539/facilities-charges-review-2019-20-report.pdf

3). The annual cost of treating conditions associated with being overweight and obese is estimated to range from £363 million to £600 million. The total annual cost to the Scottish economy of overweight and obesity, including labour market related costs such as lost productivity, is estimated to be between £0.9 billion and £4.6 billion 
https://www.gov.scot/publications/obesity-indicators/pages/2/

CALLS TO EXTEND BORDER RAILWAYS AND DUAL THE A77 TO STRANRAER.

ALBA Party Leader Alex Salmond has called for the Borders Railway to be extended to Carlisle and for the dualling of the A77 from Ayr to Stranraer in order to “turbo boost” economic recovery in the Borders and the South of Scotland. 
Mr Salmond was instrumental in the decision to invest in the reopening of the Borders railway and other major transport infrastructure projects such as the Queensferry Crossing, the Airdrie-Bathgate rail line and the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) when he was First Minister.  Speaking at the launch of the ALBA South of Scotland campaign today (Monday) Mr Salmond said: 

“I am calling for the Borders Railway to be extended to Carlisle and for the A77 to be dualled as part of a massive programme of capital investment to ‘turbo boost’ economic recovery in the Borders and the whole of the South of Scotland.  By investing in major capital investment projects like these we can bring not only improved transport links but many more jobs, businesses and tourist visitors to the Borders and the South of Scotland.
“As we emerge from Covid it can not be a case of business as usual or of small scale incremental changes.  We need to think big if we are to bring about a sustainable economic recovery, breathe new life into our towns and villages and spread the economic benefits out of the central belt.  ALBA is offering the most ambitious and radical manifesto of any party in this Election to do just that.
“ALBA will invest through a Scottish National Investment Bank in order to connect the towns and communities of South Scotland through better transport and broadband connectivity.  But we will also invest in our communities through a Scottish National Housing Company to build new good quality, energy-efficient homes for young families and we will build a new generation of world-class modern care homes for older citizens.
“While the SNP drags its feet and the Greens are soft on Independence, ALBA is the only party making Independence a priority in this Election.  Only Independence will give us the full economic powers and the financial clout to borrow for the long term at low-interest rates. 
In conclusion, Mr Salmond explained why a vote for ALBA on the List is essential at this Election:
“An SNP vote on the List is a wasted vote.  All the recent polling suggests that the SNP is likely to win more constituency seats in the South of Scotland, at this coming Election, compared with 2016.  But for every constituency seat the SNP gain they are likely to lose a regional list MSP back to the pro-Union parties.  The only way to stop this is to vote for ALBA on the regional list to guarantee both votes will count towards Independence in South Scotland.”
Lead ALBA Candidate for South Scotland Cynthia Guthrie said:
“As the First Minister responsible for the reopening of the Borders railway Alex Salmond has shown how to use the powers of Devolution, to the full extent, to make a difference.  Now in order to complete the job and extend the Borders Railway to Carlisle, we need the full powers of Independence.  Taking the Edinburgh to Tweedbank line onto Carlisle, including a new station at Hawick, and connecting communities and businesses on both sides of the border makes sense.  It will also bring tremendous social, economic and environmental benefits. We also need to build up our local businesses and communities through ‘Community Wealth Building’ which will allow local economies to retain more of their own spending to support their own business base”.
ALBA Candidate for South Scotland Corri Wilson said:
“The people of South Scotland have been the poor relation when it comes to transport infrastructure for too long.  That is why I am delighted that ALBA are committing to invest in the dualling of the A77 from Ayr to Stranraer for the communities and businesses that will benefit from these vital and long overdue improved transport connections.”
ALBA Candidate for South Scotland Suzanne Blackley said:
“ALBA are showing in this Election that we have the new ideas and fresh thinking needed to take the South of Scotland forward and to bring jobs, investment and prosperity to the people and the communities across the region.  I am delighted to be standing for ALBA and to have this  boost to our campaign from having Alex Salmond at our launch today.”