Up to 50 young Scots will receive help and training to volunteer at next year’s Ryder Cup under a new scheme.
The Scottish Government’s Volunteering Support Scheme will give 16 to 24 year olds who face barriers to volunteering at the Ryder Cup the right training and financial support for travel and accommodation.
Resulting in a qualification, the experience will boost future employment opportunities and leave another lasting legacy from hosting the Ryder Cup.
The scheme will form part of the Scotland’s Best initiative, an employability programme set up for young people which combines training and volunteering.
Sport Minister Shona Robison confirmed the support on the day of a Parliamentary Debate on One Year to Go until The Ryder Cup. Ms Robison said:
“All of the volunteers at Gleneagles will make the Ryder Cup a truly special week for the teams and spectators. This exciting new scheme will now offer up to 50 young people the opportunity to play a valuable role at one of the world’s greatest sporting events.
“The Volunteer Support Scheme represents our commitment to raise the profile of volunteering and to ensure that people of all ages, and from all walks of life, can have a rewarding volunteer experience.
“Those selected to take part will benefit from financial assistance, training and the opportunity to develop new skills over the course of the week, giving young people the chance to progress in life and leaving another lasting legacy from The 2014 Ryder Cup.”
Catherine Thomas, Commonwealth Games Legacy Manager, Skills Development Scotland, said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for 50 young people. Through Scotland’s Best, we’re helping to build a legacy from the host of sporting and cultural events taking place in 2014 and beyond by enabling more than 1,000 young people to develop skills that can last them a lifetime.”
The volunteers will work alongside the existing 1800 Ryder Cup volunteers.
Antonia Beggs, operations director for The 2014 Ryder Cup, added:
“The level of applications for our volunteer programme was unprecedented. The process demonstrates the extraordinary appeal of The 2014 Ryder Cup and we are delighted to be able to release a further 50 places for Skills Development Scotland to distribute. The volunteer programme is a great example of how the event will leave a lasting legacy in Scotland, in this case through skills development.”
The Ryder Cup takes place between 23 and 28 September 2014 at Gleneagles.