LOUISE MARTIN CBE, CHAIRWOMAN, SPORTSCOTLAND

LOUISE MARTIN CBE, CHAIRWOMAN, SPORTSCOTLAND

AT Sport-Scotland we are committed to encouraging more people to make sport and physical activity a part of their daily lives by working with our partners to provide more and better opportunities to get involved.

That is why The Evening Times Active 2014 campaign struck a chord with us and we were keen to be involved.

Sport has always played a huge role in my own life, from competing as a swimmer representing Scotland at a Commonwealth Games, to being one of the thousands of volunteers who become involved to support their children, which ultimately led to becoming a sports administrator.

I can't imagine a life without sport, or indeed how my life would have turned out without it.

But I know that isn't the case for everyone.

For some time, Scotland has held the unenviable record of being the "sick man of Europe" with poor health and lower life expectancy.

Sport or physical activity simply wasn't a priority for families in deprived areas, and not enough opportunities were previously available in the local communities.

One of the key legacy ambitions of hosting the Commonwealth Games identified by SportScotland and the Scottish Government, was to provide greater opportunities for sport locally through Community Sport Hubs.

Run by local people for local people, strengthening links between schools and clubs, making better use of existing facilities or identifying how new facilities could be delivered collaboratively, the hubs concept is designed to maximise opportunities to improve the lives of communities through sport.

At SportScotland we understand the power of sport to change lives.

With the right approach, sport can contribute to broader outcomes across health, skills development, social cohesion and economic development. It also recognises that sport has the power to inspire the nation and, above all, is fun.

This campaign brought together so many elements of that mix by including the local authority, Glasgow Life, and the health sector through NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

We all have different roles to play but we have complementary aims: to improve the health of the nation. By working together we have a real opportunity to effect change.

Hosting the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow provided a catalyst to accelerate our plans at SportScotland to develop and support a world-class sporting system at all levels.

There are now more opportunities than ever to take that first step to becoming involved in sport, and an incredibly sophisticated pathway of school, club and performance sport can lead to representing Scotland on the world stage.

We hope that this campaign and the experience of hosting the Games have provided inspiration and motiva-tion for Glaswegians and our nation to become more active.

The smallest of steps can have the greatest impact. Make today the day you take that first step to a healthier, more active lifestyle.