£18 million Scottish Government investment will give young people the chance to get involved in different sporting activities on their doorstep.
Free and low-cost opportunities for young people to take part in sport are to be offered across Dundee this summer.
Dundee City Council and Leisure & Culture Dundee, through Active Dundee and other partners, are working with sportscotland to deliver the 2026 Summer of Sport initiative.
Highlights of the Dundee programme include Make a Splash This Summer, which will let children and young people use any of the city’s swimming pools for just £1 per session.
The Summer of Sport also includes a range of physical activities delivered by Active Schools alongside dance and movement provision for boys as an alternative route into physical activity and much more.
Schools are also being offered funding to enhance their school playgrounds and play spaces, supporting improved play and increased opportunities for physical activity among young people.
Dundee has been allocated £335,000 to support the delivery of the activities throughout the summer and beyond. The funding aims to reduce inequalities in access to sport and physical activity during holiday periods, while encouraging long-term participation among children and young people.
The £18 million initiative, funded by the Scottish Government and facilitated by sportscotland, will offer young people aged three to 26 the opportunity to get active and maybe try something new.
Full details of all the activities on offer through Summer Of Sport will be released in the coming weeks.
Leader of Dundee City Council Mark Flynn said:
“We’re proud to support the 2026 Summer of Sport and bring exciting, accessible activities to young people in Dundee.
“Providing inclusive opportunities for children and young people to be active is hugely important, especially at a time when holiday activities can be so expensive for many families. I’m particularly pleased that we can offer £1 swimming sessions for children and young people across the city.
“I hope that this funding will help create lasting participation in sport and physical activity. Part of the funding will specifically target increasing sporting opportunities for women and girls, where we know participation often drops during the transition to secondary school.”
Children and Families Convener Councillor Stewart Hunter said:
“It’s great to see such a wide range of inclusive, affordable, and accessible sporting opportunities being made available to children and young people across Dundee this summer.
“As part of the initiative, targeted work will take place with schools, including swimming courses aimed at improving water safety skills, as well as improvements to school playgrounds and play spaces that will benefit children, young people, families and the wider community.”
Scott Urquhart, Head of Leisure, Sport and Physical Activity Services at Leisure & Culture Dundee said:
“We’re delighted to be making a splash this summer by helping more children and young people across Dundee access swimming for just £1. Working in partnership with Dundee City Council and sportscotland, alongside other partners, we’re focused on creating welcoming, affordable opportunities that help young people build confidence, stay active and enjoy being part of their local community.”
Chief Executive of sportscotland, Forbes Dunlop, said:
“At sportscotland, we believe that sport has the power to strengthen communities and change lives. The 2026 Summer of Sport campaign, made possible by Scottish Government investment, is a great example of what can be achieved when partners come together with a shared ambition to make sport more inclusive and accessible. We’re proud to play our part in helping more young people enjoy the benefits of being active as we celebrate a fantastic summer of sport.”
Partners in the Summer of Sport will help to ensure these opportunities are available to everyone, regardless of their background.
The funding will enable the delivery of activities designed to help young people develop healthy habits, build stronger social connections, and foster a lifelong love of movement.
Through these investments, the Council and Leisure & Culture Dundee are working to ensure that the 2026 Summer of Sport positively influences as many young people as possible, fostering engagement in sport and outdoor activities across all communities.
The country-wide 2026 Summer of Sport is a unique opportunity for communities across Scotland to embrace the excitement of sport, inspired by the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, both of which will showcase Scotland on the global stage and inspire young people to take part, get active and begin their own journey in sport and activity.
To find out more about the 2026 Summer of Sport, visit: sportscotland.org.uk/2026