Sports Development is not just about helping develop sport but also the individuals participating in sport and the organisations that deliver sporting opportunities in our local communities.

Our Sports Development Team are dedicated to promoting recruitment, participation and performance in all aspects of sport within Perth and Kinross, including those playing, coaching, refereeing, managing and volunteering. And of course, all this couldn’t be achieved without key partnerships with local sports clubs, volunteers, national governing bodies and leisure providers.

We recently sat down with Sports Development Officer Logan to find out more about the work that he and the others in the team do.

What is your position within Live Active?

I’m one of the Sports Development Officers at Live Active Leisure. My remit is to work with Community Sport Hubs, Clubs and Organisations across Highland Perthshire and Perth City. The other part of my role is to manage the Football Development staff and the Sport Modern Apprentices.

How long have you worked for Live Active?

I joined Live Active in September 2016, so 7 years ago! I first started as a Sports Development Officer that worked with all clubs across Perth and Kinross and the role has evolved over time.

What do you love most about your job?

Working with a range of different people every day who are passionate about sport and can see the benefits that it can bring whether that be physical, mental, emotional or social. 

Do you take part in any sports or activities in your spare time?

Football is my main sport, I work as an opposition analyst for The Spartans FC in Edinburgh, so I do more watching than playing! However, I’m back to describing myself as a footballer again as I’ve joined the Men’s Recreational Football session near to where I live, which has been brilliant fun getting back on the pitch. 

What does the Sports Development team do?

Where do I start?!

Sports Development is about working with local and national partners to ensure that within Perth and Kinross we have recreational opportunities and progressive pathways for all ages and abilities to engage and participate in sport. 

Across the team, there are a range of roles and responsibilities but collectively on a day-to-day basis we will be doing the following:

• Delivering activities in schools and communities to encourage increased participation levels. 
• supporting sports clubs to achieve local club accreditation. 
• Developing partner projects, using sport to tackle local inequalities. 
• Delivering and developing training opportunities for local coaches and volunteers. 
• Supporting performance level athletes on their quest to achieve international success. 
• Delivering events to raise the profile of sport. 
• Supporting and developing funding applications to bring increased investment to Perth and Kinross. 
• Empowering communities through our Community Sport Hub initiative. 
• Developing the skills and confidence of local young people to become leaders in sport. 
• Working with schools, clubs, and governing bodies to create strong sporting participation pathways. 

Given the diversity of needs across the different sports, clubs and communities in Perth and Kinross, no two days are the same and that is why I enjoy my role so much.

What projects are you working on at the moment to promote sport in Perth and Kinross?

I have two projects that spring to mind, the first is the Sport for Change Network. This is where our Sports Development team, in partnership with sportscotland and the Gannochy Trust, have created a thematic sports hub in Perth City.

The aim of the network is to address inequalities that prevent local people accessing quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Furthermore, we are looking for clubs to develop projects that focus specifically on the theme of improving mental wellbeing.

As part of the network, we bring clubs together to:

• Learn about Sport for Change and the inclusion methods that we have gained through sportscotland’s Changing Lives Champions Programme and the Changing Lives Leaders Programme.
• Benefit from mental health learning opportunities such as mental health awareness training and mental health first aid training. 

• Sign up to the Scottish Association of Mental Health (SAMH) Mental Health Charter and help to promote this to our wider club network.
• Help share the positive messages behind Sport for Change projects through case studies of their projects.

We are also offering, as part of the network, a funding pot of £5000 to support Sport for Change projects. Grants of up to £1000 are on offer to help Perth based sports clubs to start or continue projects that support our theme of improving mental wellbeing. You can watch a video of what some of the clubs have been up to here.

The second is the Aspiring Coaches programme which is where the Sports Development and Active Schools team work together to deliver a project for young people. The project was launched in 2023 and 68 pupils from Perth and Kinross are now progressing their coaching journey with us. The Aspiring Coaches attended a 3-day coaching conference which was the first of its kind in Perth and Kinross. Live Active staff and partner organisations delivered workshops to the Aspiring Coaches that aimed to help them gain coaching skills, knowledge and experiences that set them up to coach within schools and community clubs. 

Another exciting part of this programme is that the Aspiring Coaches are provided with a sports specific national governing body qualification of their choice. This makes the project tailored to the specific interests of the Aspiring Coaches whilst allowing us to get them involved in coaching opportunities that they are interested in. The Aspiring Coaches are now on the next phase of their journey delivering sport and activity within schools and sports clubs. The Active Schools and Sports Development teams are working closely together to support them through all of this. As a direct result of this project, we have more qualified, confident young people coaching sport and physical activity both within schools and clubs. 

What sort of positive impact can participating in sport have within local communities?

Pure and simple, sport changes lives. As cliché as that may sound, we have seen over and over again that sporting organisations are one of the key pillars of our community. The list is endless for the positive impacts that it can bring to anyone through participating, coaching or volunteering. Part of our work has allowed for us to support groups that previously thought that sport may not be an environment for them for whatever reason. My favourite example of this work has been the development of Perth & Kinross’ first LGBTI sports club; Perth Parrots. Without me saying anymore, here's what makes sport so special.

Every Time We Play We Win - Perth Parrots Film on Vimeo

How can individuals and organisations get in touch if they’d like to find out more about the work the Sports Development team does?

You can find all of our lovely faces and individual contacts here.

You can sign up to our monthly Sport Development newsletter and find out what’s happening across Perth & Kinross here.

Give us a like on Facebook: @LALSportsDevelopment or Twitter: @lal_sport

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