Introduction
Since the 1993 National Lottery Act, the Sports Council for Wales has had a statutory responsiblity to allocate lottery grants to sport in Wales. In 1995 the the Sports Council for Wales began this role with the formation of "SPORTLOT". This initial scheme started with the allocation of capital grants. Other schemes, such as Elite Cymru, were formed as the programme evolved. In 1998 a second National Lottery Act was passed. This required each of the lottery money distributing bodies to prepare a strategic plan containing their policies for the distribution of lottery funds into the millennium. the Sports Council for Wales published it's SPORTLOT Strategy in 1999 setting out it's intentions, both in terms of practical delivery, strategic operations and performance monitoring.

Background The Sports Council for Wales has supported 349 capital projects totalling more than £43 million, 121 atheles through Elite Cymru, and 22 welsh atheletes via the UK scheme since fund allocation began in 1995. Almost 75% of capital awards have been granted to projects under £100,000. In total, 71% of awards have gone to the voluntary sector, 12% to projects on school sites and the remaining 17% to community facilities sponsored by local authorities. Included within the awards have been two major national awards, one of £3.2 million towards the development of a national centre of excellence for cricket and one of £5.6 million towards the construction of a national indoor atheltics training and competition centre.

The Programmes of Funding
Within the SPORTLOT Strategy, the Sports Council for Wales outlines it's programmes up to the year 2005. These include:

• SPORTLOT Capital.
• SPORTLOT Community Chest.
• Dragon Sport.
• Coach Cymru.
• Elite Cymru.
• Disability Sport Scheme.
• UK Awards.
• UK Sports Institute HQ Revenue.
• UK Sports Institute Capital.

Some of the schemes are adaptations of exisiting schemes such as SPORTLOT Capital and Elite Cymru, while others, such as the Disability Sports Scheme, are new initiatives currently in the developmental stages. The role of the Disability Sports Scheme will be to fund the appointment of local authority development officers.

SPORTLOT Capital
The SPORTLOT Capital scheme is prioritised to projects that, for example, increase the number of people participating in sport or result in higher standards. This might include the construction of new facilities or a programme of upgrading exisitng facilities. Other projects eligible for funding would include those that make better use of existing sports facilities, particularly through increased access to the community and those that cater for multi-sports projects.

The principles that underpin SPORTLOT's distribution of lottery money for capital projects aim to ensure:

• Lasting and maximum sports and community development benefit.
• Value for money.
• Benefits for the areas identified as having the greatest recreational, sporting and financial need.

The Sports Council for Wales has set funding priority to applications which will deliver maximum sports development benefit. The number of SPORTLOT Capital schemes to be funded will depend on the number of applicants. However, the Sports Council for Wales will monitor those which recieve funding to ensure that maximum benefits are being achieved.

SPORTLOT Community Chest
For sports development programmes at the grass roots level the Sports Council for Wales has formed the Community Chest small grant scheme. Up to £1,000 will be available to sports clubs and local organisations to develop sport locally.

Fund allocation will be prioritised to projects that create additional opportunities for the benefit of juniors, women and disabled people. Sports development activities that will qualify include the recruitment of volunteers, training of volunteers, coach education, junior start-up costs, non-personal items of equipment, publicity and promotional materials, developing new competitive opportunities or structures, developing club/community/school links, sports events and festivals and transport schemes, particularly in rural areas.

Grant applications are assessed by local Community Chest Committees in each Welsh local authority. These committees are sub-committees of the the Sports Council for Wales and independent of local authorities. The criteria that will be utilised by the Community Chest Committees when assessing grant applications will check that:

• There is a clear need for the project and it's relation to exisiting sports provision in the community.
• The project is appropriate for the applicant organisation and satisfies the need, both in quality and scale.
• The grant will help acheive the SPORTLOT Community Chest's aims of increasing participation and improving standards in sport.
• The applicant organisation has the skills to carry out the project and manage the grant effectively.
• The costs are realistic and good value for money.
• The project is financially viable.

Dragon Sport
Dragon Sport is similar to Kiwi Sport in New Zealand and will focus on the recruitment of volunteers to provide extra-curricular sports sessions for children. The aims of Dragon Sport will include:

• Introducing 7-11 year olds to an enjoyable and well organised range of sports with clearly identified opportunities to feed into and progress through sports development programmes in clubs and the community.
• Engaging resources, both paid and voluntary, in implementing child-centred programmes for a range of sports activities to be delivered through out of school clubs.
• Proactively recruiting more parents, teachers and others into sports leadership and provide them with pathways into coaching, officiating or administration.
• Supporting sports clubs in developing junior sections suitable for children aged 7-11 years and to develop links between clubs and schools through after school activities.

Coach Cymru
Investment in the employment of coaches through Coach Cymru will improve competitor performance and raise coaching standards. the Sports Council for Wales will provide support for a minimum of 30 coaches per annum. The Coach Cymru programme will focus on investment at two levels:

• National Performance Coach Programme - to recruit national coaches to work with academies of sport, national teams and squads, including individuals and groups and/or the training of other coaches in the practical coaching situation. Awards will often be linked to the appropriate competition cycles
• Regional Performance Coach Programme - to provide additional financial support for the employment of regional and county coaches, who will work primarily with teams and competitors at a centre of excellence/second tier of Elite level (usually juniors) for a specified number of contracted hours. Other work might include the training of other coaches either in a formal or informal way. In particular, it might be appropriate to work with coaches of the clubs from whom the young county and regional players are emerging.

The criteria the the Sports Council for Wales is utilising for Coach Cymru will ensure that:

• The main focus will be directed to the practical elements of coaching competitors and coaches.
• Paid coaches enhance (and do not duplicate or substitute) work already delivered.
• Volunteer coaches are not made to feel less valued.
• Partnership agreements are workable.
• Coaching is of the highest possible standard by agreeing minimum qualifications and a commitment to ongoing training.

Elite Cymru
The Elite Cymru programme is designed to help provide comprehensive support to top welsh competitors in order that they can compete with distinction on the world stage. The main aim of Elite Cymru is to provide both elite and potentially elite athletes with a range of support services. The support includes:

• Financial support.
• Support to cover sports medicine costs.
• Sports science support - including access to a sports psychologist.
• Lifestyle management training, including linking to an Athlete Career and Education (ACE) advisor.
• Facilities for training.
• Employment/coaching opportunities.
• Accommodation at the Welsh Institute of sport.

Within this programme there will again be priority of funding to applications from individuals and teams. This criteria is founded on:

• Their competitive standing - the current level of achievement or ranking, taking into account the scale and quality of the opposition.
• Their potential for international success - the likelihood of further funding leading to better performances.
• The realism of objectives - the extent to which the competitors' training and preparation programme will achieve performance aims.
• Value for money - whether the investment presents good value.

With Elite Cymru there are three levels: the UK level, the Welsh level and the Welsh Sports Aid/Foundation for Sports and Arts Awards.

Funding
The annual income of SPORTLOT up until 2005 is currently estimated to be in the region of £13 million. This will be distributed through both capital and revenue expenditure schemes. A detailed breakdown of funding expenditure for all schemes is available from the Sports Council for Wales.

Sources of information
This factsheet was developed by ILAM, in consultation with the Sports Council for Wales by utilising information from the the Sports Council for Wales SPORTLOT Strategy, issue 1, 1999 and information from the the Sports Council for Wales website.