Basketball in Scotland is running on empty, and we are standing alongside our colleagues across Scottish sport to call on the Scottish Government to fulfil its pledge to double annual funding for sport to £100m. This commitment was made in the 2021 Programme for Government, yet with less than six months of this Parliament remaining, it remains unfulfilled.
Governing bodies, including basketballscotland, have continued to press the Government through the Running on Empty campaign. The campaign highlights both the impact of the real-terms cut we have faced over the past four years and the growing pressures being felt across clubs and communities.
As we approach the Scottish Budget, the coalition of sports has jointly written to the First Minister, urging him to deliver on this promise and invest in sport in a more sustained and meaningful way. You can read the full open letter here. The story has already gained media coverage, further underlining the urgency of the situation.
David Fallon, Chief Executive Officer at basketballscotland, said:
“The single greatest challenge facing basketball in Scotland today is access to suitable facilities. Clubs across the country are struggling with both the limited number of adequate basketball courts and the declining standard of the spaces that do exist. On top of that, rapidly rising hire costs mean many clubs can no longer afford to use their local facilities. The impact has been devastating - several clubs have already been forced to fold because they simply couldn’t keep up with the relentless increase in facility prices. Without meaningful investment, we risk losing even more opportunities for people to experience everything that basketball has to offer.”
Sport plays a powerful role in physical, mental, and social wellbeing, strengthening communities and helping showcase Scotland on the global stage. With Glasgow 2026 and other major events on the horizon, now is the moment for the Scottish Government to honour its pledge and protect the future of sport.
