SCOTLAND’S SPORTING HERITAGE SUPPORTED WITH THE LAUNCH OF A NEW COLLABORATIVE PROJECT

Museums, community groups, sports clubs and individuals are coming together for the launch of new project aimed at gaining a better understanding of Scotland’s sporting heritage and the collections that exist across the country.

The scoping project has been made possible through a grant by the National Heritage Lottery Fund and will see a range of sporting heritage organisations, clubs and community groups working together with the Scotland Sporting Heritage Network to help discover, protect, preserve and celebrate the wide variety of Scotland’s sporting collections.

Hugh Dan MacLennan, Director of the Scotland Sporting Heritage Network, who is overseeing the project, said:

“We are delighted to receive this funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund that will really help us understand the collections which exist in Scotland that tell the story of our rich sporting heritage.

Hugh adds: “Without this joint effort by all those involved to try and gain as much understanding and information as we can, we know there will be collections that are at risk of loss or destruction and with them, the stories they tell. If you have a sporting collection, no matter what size, or sport please do get in touch.”

It is hoped the project will also support Scotland’s sporting collections to be better understood and help identify how sport does support wider key issues around health and wellbeing.

The research is being conducted by Archive specialists, Turnstone Consultancy. Research lead, Kat Petersen adds:

“Sporting heritage might be tidily boxed up in an archive or accumulating in a cupboard in your office or clubhouse.

However it is being stored or displayed, if you have records or objects relating to sports in Scotland we would love to hear from you!”

If you are aware of any sporting collections which may be of interest, or know of any which might be undiscovered or at risk in some way, please contact turnstonearch@gmail.com. The Camanachd Association is keen to hear of any collections

and anyone can send information about shinty collections no matter what form they take or are in.

Further details on the project can be found on the Sporting Heritage website https://www.sportingheritage.org.uk/content/nations/sporting-heritage-scotland/scoping-scottish-sporting-heritage

The project applies to collections of all shapes and sizes from any sports and is particularly aimed at material which needs to be collected and preserved for safe-keeping.