Councils Should Not Cut 'vital' Physical Activity - Former Olympian

A erstwhile Olympian has said beingness activity should beryllium prioritised by councils erstwhile they request to make fund cuts.

Badminton subordinate Susan Egelstaff, who competed astatine nan 2012 Olympics successful London and is simply a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, told BBC Scotland nan benefits to nine were "huge".

She was speaking aft nationalist spending watchdog, nan Accounts Commission, said nan sum of money councils were spending connected civilization and leisure services was not keeping up pinch rising costs.

The committee recovered that nationalist spending had fallen by 3% successful existent position since 2018 and warned that much study was needed to understand really nan diminution was impacting nationalist wellness and wellbeing.

Local authorities assemblage Cosla said councils remained committed, wrong tight budgets, to ensuring that nan champion imaginable leisure and civilization services were available.

In its report, nan Accounts Commission said galore section authorities were reviewing nan services they offered while raising aliases introducing charges.

It warned that nan astir deprived communities would look "inequality and exclusion" if cuts to spending connected civilization and leisure services continued unchecked.

"The proviso of civilization and leisure services is important to thief amended longer-term beingness and intelligence wellbeing, linked to activity crossed a scope of different services, and reducing them risks deepening inequalities," it said.

The watchdog warned councils that they not only risked expanding inequalities crossed Scotland, but besides risked ineligible action being taken by nan communities affected by cuts.

It added that failures to decently consult locals and measure nan effect cuts aliases interest hikes would person connected inequality had already seen immoderate councils reversing decisions and communities taking ineligible action.

Ms Egelstaff, who is now a journalist, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "I deliberation beingness activity and taste things tin beryllium seen arsenic a spot of a luxury but they are captious to having a patient society.

"The benefits of beingness activity are truthful far-reaching - it goes into wellness and intelligence wellness - I deliberation it does person to beryllium prioritised.

"It cannot beryllium apical of nan database erstwhile it comes to cuts."

Prof Grant Jarvie, president of athletics astatine nan University of Edinburgh and president of nan section authority's leisure, civilization and athletics trust, told nan programme that sport, leisure and civilization were disproportionately deed because they were not statutory specified arsenic schools, lodging and transport.

He said: "The study suggests a 3% simplification successful existent position but different reports talk astir a 20% trim successful section authorities finance successful culture, athletics and leisure services and arsenic precocious arsenic 33% successful immoderate section authorities."

He added that section authorities only needed to supply capable proviso and were "forced to make choices they shouldn't person to make".

He said athletics brought astir £2.5bn to nan Scottish system pinch moreover much coming from civilization industries.

He besides highlighted nan organization groups that use from athletics and civilization spending, including Street Soccer, nan Sistema Scotland euphony acquisition programme and nan Homeless World Cup.

"Local authorities person to make choices, but governments of each colours besides make choices and successful this lawsuit it's nan incorrect ones," he said.

Overall, £675m was spent connected civilization and leisure successful Scotland successful 2023-24 , pinch £118m raised by charges - a 27% summation since 2018/19.

At nan aforesaid time, section leaders person approved £9.9m worthy of savings successful these areas for nan existent year.

The Accounts Commission said gaps successful really information was collected by councils meant "we don't person a afloat knowing of nan effect of these decisions connected health, wellbeing and prevention".

A full of 44 cardinal visits were made to nan nation's libraries successful 2023/24, nan aforesaid arsenic 2018/19.

Scotland's nationalist sports accommodation saw numbers diminution by 21% successful that clip to 43 cardinal past year.

Visits to museums crossed nan state person accrued by 25% since 2018/19 to 15 million.

Satisfaction and attendance rates for immoderate services stay beneath pre-pandemic levels.

Jo Armstrong, chairwoman of nan Accounts Commission, said civilization and leisure services were "vital" to wellness and wellbeing and called for gaps successful nationalist information to beryllium addressed.

She added: "Communities must beryllium afloat consulted connected decisions to close, centralise accommodation aliases changes to charging. Failing to do this risks deepening inequalities and ineligible action by communities."

A spokesperson for Cosla said that captious services would "continue to beryllium astatine risk" without sustainable semipermanent funding.

They said Cosla was already moving pinch councils and partners to spot really it could summation nationalist and section finance successful accommodation and initiatives to support nan health, wellbeing and acquisition of communities.

"We will see nan Accounts Commission findings and recommendations arsenic portion of that ongoing work," they added.