Please note that with the current situation relating to the COVID-19 Coronavirus, the Commonwealth Games Scotland office will be operational, but staff will be working remotely.
In line with government guidelines we have instructed staff to work from home and our staff will continue to work remotely within normal hours of 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
We will no longer have access to our office phones so please contact Helen on 07739 647055 for all general enquiries.
Staff can also be contacted by email. If you do not have a direct email address for the person you wish to contact please use our ‘Contact Us’ page and your enquiry will be forwarded to the relevant staff member.
We thank you for your support and understanding over this time.
Useful Information
Team Scotland was represented at the 2020 Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey by Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018 Squash competitor Kevin Moran and Gold Coast 2018 weightlifter Lisa Tobias, both members of our Athlete Advisory Panel. They teamed up to give us a glimpse behind the scenes and tell us about this special event in their own words:
A few days beforehand we got in touch with each other to chat wardrobe for the event, would it be the tracksuit from 2014? Or perhaps the sleeveless bespoke top from the sunny climate of Gold Coast in 2018? Anyway, after much deliberation and consideration we came to the conclusion that there was only one route to go… we would KILT UP for this prestigious honour in Westminster Abbey.
Neither of us knowing too much about the event…or knowing London very well…or being very good at flying…and just struggling to have a general sense of direction between us, we seemed like the perfect duo to take on such a challenge!
So up in the air we went in our matching kilts and one hour and lot of turbulence later we arrived down in sunny (ish) London town. For two people with no sense of direction we made it to Westminster with bags of time, straight for a coffee and then back out in the cold to wait for the other athletes arriving at our designated meeting spot. One by one they all fetched up, first a rep from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), then a runner from England, followed by a gymnast, also from England, then Martin our CGF point of contact then Denise Lewis then…Wait….What…WHY IS DENISE LEWIS HERE!?!? A bit star struck we chatted away to a very glamorous looking Denise and waited for our last two athlete reps from Northern Ireland.
Once Northern Ireland’s netballers arrived it was straight into the Abbey to see where we’d be sitting, a picture with Denise and then a quick briefing from Martin on what we would be doing for the next few hours… Which went as follows “Just go and chat to the hundreds of school children that are sitting down”. Pressure was on!
They were all so grateful and lovely. We were greeted with ear to ear smiles and books for us to autograph. All of them so well behaved and so nervous / excited to see Antony Joshua and the Queen in the flesh! What a treat it was getting to chat to them all about the Commonwealth sports we do, their hopes and dreams and what they were most looking forward to about the day.
We were placed in line for the procession and, thanks to our Team Scotland kilts, we were first to go! After a very speedy briefing of “left foot first and just follow me” we were all set. Thankfully we didn’t crumble under the pressure and made it down the aisle (very slowly) whist passing and smiling to a lot of the school children we’d just met.
Time now to take our seats whilst we excitedly awaited the arrival of the Royal Family and celebrities which included Anthony Joshua, Alexandra Burke and Craig David. One by one they walked in through the main entrance of the Abbey with its 2,000 strong audience and took their seats not too far away from us.
The incredible line up did not disappoint. We were incredibly honoured to hear Anthony Joshua’s thoughts on the Commonwealth, as well as listening to music by Craig David and Alexandra Burke, all whilst sitting right across from the Royal Family. This event being Harry and Meghan’s last made it all the more special.
At the end of the service we walked out commenting on how incredible and immaculate the Abbey is. What an experience and honour. One we’ll never forget.
Our final challenge remaining was to find our way back to the airport and we……smashed it, well almost, we only got on one wrong train!
Thanks Team Scotland for an incredible day.
Lisa Tobias and Kevin Moran
In recognition of steps taken to support staff wellbeing, Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) has recently been awarded Paths for All’s ‘Walk at Work Award’ as well as being accredited as a ‘Cycle Friendly Employer’ by Cycling Scotland.
Recent findings from UK workplaces reveal that half of all employees experience poor mental health at work, including stress, anxiety and depression. Studies have also shown that those who regularly cycle to work typically take fewer sick days than less active commuters, while regular walking can reduce the effects of poor mental health, particularly walking in greenspace.
As part of the ‘Walk at Work Award’, which recognises workplaces in Scotland creating healthy and active workforces, CGS staff have been encouraged to move more throughout the working day with the introduction of standing desks, a lunchtime walking club and a ‘Walk to Birmingham 2022’ Step Count Challenge which challenged staff to walk the equivalent distance of a return journey from the CGS office at the University of Stirling to Birmingham, the site of the next Commonwealth Games.
The introduction of a bicycle mileage allowance for business journeys, provision of equipment storage and drying space and access to a pool bike for on-campus, local and lunchtime travel were among the steps taken towards ‘Cycling Friendly Employer‘ status.
Scotland’s walking charity Paths for All set up their ‘Walk at Work’ award to help tackle poor health in the workplace and reverse the trend of inactive workplaces where staff sit for up to 9 hours a day. The nationally recognised ‘Cycling Friendly Employer’ programme provides an award scheme and funding to help organisations make it easier for their staff to cycle and enjoy the benefits of active travel. Both charities provided Commonwealth Games Scotland with one to one support to set up activities to get their workforce more active.
By promoting walking and cycling as easy ways to get to and from work and meetings, CGS are also reducing their carbon footprint and helping to reduce congestion and emissions.
Ian Findlay, Paths for All’s Chief Officer, urges all Scottish workplaces to take their employee’s health seriously.
“Congratulations to Commonwealth Games Scotland for achieving our Walk at Work Award. It’s brilliant to see Scottish workplaces take the lead in creating a work-based walking culture and making improvements to staff health and wellbeing.”
“Research shows that employees who are physically active in and around the working day take fewer sick days, are more motivated and productive, and are more able to concentrate, so walking is not just good for us, it’s good for business.
“I would urge any Scottish workplace to follow Commonwealth Games Scotland’s lead and use Paths for All’s support to take small steps to a healthier workforce.”
Taking part is free and open to any Scottish workplace that wants to promote an active workforce. Find out more at www.walkatwork.scot and www.cycling.scot
The Team Scotland Youth Trust (TSYT), a proud partner of Team Scotland for 30 years, is seeking two enthusiastic, dedicated and independent people to join their Board as non-executive Directors.
The successful applicants will help the Team Scotland Youth Trust, a registered Scottish charity, to continue to support the next generation of young talented Scottish athletes, coaches and team managers. Support from TSYT helps them to achieve their sporting goals at a National or International level, as well as develop as individuals, through a range of educational programmes, awards and scholarships.
Over its 30 year history TSYT has supported many potential Team Scotland athletes, helping them to improve their performances, optimise their sporting abilities and strive for selection and medal success.
Past beneficiaries of Team Scotland Youth Trust support have gone on to compete with distinction for Team Scotland at Commonwealth Games and for Team GB at Olympic Games, including Kirsty Gilmour (Badminton), Jennifer McIntosh (Shooting), Robbie Renwick (Swimming) and Eilidh Doyle (Athletics).
These two voluntary posts will be for a four year period, April 2020- March 2024 with applications closing at noon on Friday 13 March 2020.
Please download the role description here and contact: TSYouthTrust@TeamScotland.scot or call 01786 466480 for more information.
With two and a half years until the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) have published the General Selection Policy and Standards document which will be used to select the athletes who will represent Team Scotland at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Clear, consistent selection policies and the Team Scotland ethos, bringing together all sports as one team, have been a major factor in the increasing success of Team Scotland over past Games cycles, culminating in the team’s record breaking performance at Glasgow 2014 and best ever overseas Games at Gold Coast 2018. Continuing the same approach, the selection policy for Birmingham has been produced following extensive consultation with the performance directors of the 19 sports on the Games programme with the aim of selecting a team that performs with distinction in 2022.
The selection standard set out in the General Selection Policy is based on a performance level of the ability to show a top six performance at the Games with the key aims of achieving a higher percentage of athletes meeting the selection standards when in competition at the Games than in 2018 and for each sport to meet its stated performance aims. In addition, CGS has set the aim of all team members having a positive experience within Team Scotland at the Games.
To ensure representation across the full programme of sports, all individual sports will be represented at the 2022 Commonwealth Games by up to four athletes and all team sports will be represented by a minimum of one team, subject to invitation by the Commonwealth Games Federation.
CGS will now work with the sports on the Birmingham sport programme to develop the Sport Specific Selection Policy and Standards throughout 2020 so that they are available well in advance of the selection period which will open on 1st March 2021. These will include a detailed breakdown of the specific times, distances and competition results required, the dates between which these standards must be achieved and any other factors which will be taken into consideration for each sport.
Endorsing the General Selection Policy, CGS Chief Executive Jon Doig said; “Following extensive consultation with sports, we have produced a policy that will select a team which will perform with distinction and ensure consistency between sports. Next, this will be supplemented by sport specific standards, ensuring all athletes in Scotland with the aspiration and potential to compete in Birmingham know exactly what they must do to make the team ahead of the selection period opening.
“This is an important milestone in our preparations for Birmingham 2022 and the first step towards our aim for all team members to have a positive Games experience.”
A copy of the General Selection Policy is available on the Selection page in the Birmingham 2022 section of this website. Individual sport policies will be added as they are published.
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) are seeking expressions of interest for an enthusiastic, dedicated and independent person to take an active voting role on the CGS Selection Committee for Team Scotland for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Trinbago 2021 Youth Games.
The successful applicant will join the CGS Selection Committee in developing General and Sport-Specific Selection Policies and Standards, implementing those policies and final selection of athletes for both Birmingham 2022 and Trinbago 2021.
Applicants should have an understanding of and passion for Scottish and Commonwealth Sport and be open minded and willing to take part in debate and discussion to contribute objectively and fairly to the CGS Selection Committee decision making process.
Attendance will be required at approximately 10 meetings over the three year period from appointment until July 2022, in addition to adhoc email and phone commitment at times suitable to your availability.
This is a voluntary post, but travel and other related expenses will be reimbursed.
A full role description can be found here.
If you are interested in being considered for this role then please send a short covering letter by email to: elinor.middlemiss@teamscotland.scot or call on 01786 466480 for further information.
Closing Date: Friday 22 November 2019
Appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 New Year Honours List, Louise Martin, Commonwealth Games Federation President and Honorary Vice President of Commonwealth Games Scotland, received her Damehood on 2 July from Her Majesty The Queen at Holyrood. The honour is conferred in recognition of services to sport in Scotland and across the Commonwealth.
Dame Louise Martin said: “Sport underpins the unique connections and friendships which bring together a third of the world’s population as citizens of the nations and territories of the Commonwealth. I am truly overwhelmed and humbled to be recognised in this way – and can’t imagine what my 16 year old self would have thought about this announcement when I first experienced the Commonwealth Games as a swimmer at the 1962 Games in Perth, Australia.
The successes and impacts of the Games are only made possible by the passion and commitment of our athletes, supporters, volunteers and host city partners. I would like to pay tribute to them – and in particular our partners and participants in Glasgow and Gold Coast – as I graciously thank Her Majesty for this honour”.
Elected President of the Commonwealth Games Federation at the General Assembly in Auckland, New Zealand in September 2015, Louise is the first female to hold this office in the history of the Commonwealth Sports Movement. She has a long and distinguished association with the Games as an Athlete – swimming for Team Scotland at the Perth 1962 Commonwealth Games – and thereafter as Team Manager, Administrator and Honorary Secretary and was the first female elected to the CGF Executive Board.
Louise played a lead role in bringing the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow during the Bid, served as Vice Chair of the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, and was formerly Chair of sportscotland from 2008 to 2015 and Commonwealth Games Scotland from 1999 until 2007. In 2008, she joined the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport, which she chaired from 2014-2018. In 2003 Louise was awarded the CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to the Commonwealth Games.
The Annual General Meeting of Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) saw four positions on the Board up for election by CGS member sports, with Paul Bush OBE and Maureen Campbell OBE re-elected as Chair and Vice Chair for their second four year term. Susan Jackson was also returned as a Director and will be joined by David Bond, who will take his first four year term on the Board.
Since taking on the role in 2015, Paul, a former Team Scotland Chef de Mission, who is Director of Events with VisitScotland and EventScotland, has guided CGS through a highly successful cycle covering two Commonwealth Youth Games and Team Scotland’s highest ever medal tally at an overseas Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast 2018.
Delighted to have been reappointed, Paul Bush said:
“I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues and am excited to lead the new Board of Commonwealth Games Scotland into the next cycle where I’m sure Team Scotland will again deliver at what will be another great Games in Birmingham in 2022.
“I look forward to ensuring that we maximise the opportunities for our athletes and sports and maintain the position of Team Scotland and the Commonwealth Games as being central to inspiring future generations of Scots, not only to be successful but to be physically active.”
Vice Chair Maureen Campbell, a former swimmer who represented Scotland at the 1978 Commonwealth Games, is Chief Executive of Falkirk Community Trust and was Chair of Scottish Swimming and Board Director at British Swimming from 2006 to 2018.
Susan Jackson, a 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medalist in shooting and former CGS Board Athletes’ Representative, also served as Finance Director in the last cycle. A Chartered Accountant at Campion Homes, she previously worked in the corporate finance team at Deloittes for 12 years before joining the Winning Scotland Foundation as a senior director.
David Bond, brings experience as Head of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling and is a Winning Students Advisory Board member, Scottish Hockey Management Group member and a member of the Triathlon Scotland Performance Management Group.
My name is Sílvia Puig Saltor and I am a student of the MSc Sport Management program at University of Stirling. I am from Spain and I moved to Stirling to continue with my education. One of the reasons to chose the University of Stirling was because this program required students to do an internship of at least 60 hours in a sport organisation, which means for me the opportunity to gain experience and allow me to enter the real working world.
I chose to start working with Team Scotland after finding out at a job fair that it was an option for my internship. Team Scotland is a big organisation that offered me both management and sport experience and is a great chance to get to know the day-to-day of an organisation that works on planning for big events, such as the Commonwealth Games. The organisation works to give the best and take care of the athletes that represent Team Scotland on the international stage.
During the time I have been with Team Scotland I have worked with the Marketing and Events team, helping out mainly with the planning of a policy review workshop for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. I assisted with all tasks involved in organising the event, such as sending invitations, creating the event agenda and preparing the presentations for the day of the event. Attending the event was a great opportunity to learn more about the policies and meet the Team Managers from different sports. I also met some retired athletes who gave their point of view based on their own experience at last Games to make suggestions for improvement in Birmingham 2022. I have been involved in other tasks, including contacting our guests for the Scottish Women in Sport Awards and sending reminders to people attending different events. From the first day, everyone working in the offices treated me as one of the team, giving me autonomy to develop myself as a professional.
Now I am back after the Christmas break I am continuing my internship, working on other core projects to ensure that Team Scotland remains active during non-Games years. This has included working with the Digital Services Manager to produce a social media plan for 2019 and sending Countdown Magazine out to supporters and sports. I will also have the opportunity to work along with Scottish Gymnastics in organising the 2019 Scottish National Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
Finally, I hope to keep learning from my colleagues for my future job opportunities. I think that doing an internship is the best way to expand your knowledge, as well as to build a network with people already working in the area you are interested in.
Due to re-development of the University of Stirling’s Gannochy Sports Centre, the Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) office will be re-locating to Airthrey Castle from Thursday 21 June 2018 until the completion of building work in 2020.
Located just across the University of Stirling Campus, CGS will be joined at Airthrey Castle by a number of Scottish Governing Bodies as building work commences in the coming months.
Our new address is:
Commonwealth Games Scotland
Airthrey Castle
Hermitage Rd,
Stirling, FK9 4LA
Phone and email contact details will remain the same.
- Tel: +44(0)1786 466480
- Email: info@teamscotland.scot
Individual staff phone extensions and email addresses will also remain the same.
University of Stirling Re-Development
The £20 million transformation of the University of Stirling’s sports facilities will see Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence create an iconic new sports complex that will be integrated with existing world-class facilities.
The new building will include purpose-built studios, an innovative fitness suite, three-court sports hall, indoor cycling studio, strength and conditioning area, as well as a new state-of-the-art high performance suite. Users of the new building will also benefit from enhanced changing facilities and communal spaces. The National Swimming Academy, National Tennis Centre, sports hall and squash courts will remain in their current form.
Commonwealth and World champion swimmer, and University of Stirling scholar athlete, Duncan Scott said:
“The University is already renowned for its excellent sports facilities and I think the redevelopment will only enhance this reputation.
“The new building promises to be a great experience for all users and I know the new performance suite will help create an even better training environment for the University’s sports clubs and scholar athletes.”
Construction work of the new facility is due to commence in autumn this year, with the centre anticipated to be in operation by summer 2020.
Director of Sport, Cathy Gallagher, said: “This investment will literally break new ground in respect of sport, physical activity and wellbeing. Our ambition is to set standards at local, national and international levels and the significantly enhanced facilities will unleash new participation, innovative opportunities and an unrivalled experience.
“The unique feature of sport at the University of Stirling is the environment within which Olympic medallists train and compete alongside students, staff and the wider community. This development will mark the beginning of another exciting chapter for sport at the University and within the Stirling area.”