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Harris asks for greater collective responsibility
Stewart Harris, the chief executive of sportscotland, the sports council for Scotland, has called for greater collective responsibility in tackling the issues facing Scottish sport.
Harris, who was addressing the Scottish Sports Development conference in Dunblane last Wednesday, said that divisions were threatening to undermine "lots of brilliant, fun and effective things which are taking place in Scotland".
Harris warned against the danger of "polarising participation and performance" saying, "there are a whole host of connections between them."
He said a more collaborative approach with better partnership working between the education and sports sectors could contribute solutions in the drive to increase participation, particularly the under-utilisation of facilities: "I would like to see schools which function as a community resource as well as educational establishments.
"We are missing a bit of collective energy. If we can channel this effectively, we will really start to change people's lives," he added.
The Scottish Executive's revision of sport 21 – the current strategy for sport in Scotland up to 2007 – is to be unveiled early in 2007. The document had been scheduled for publication before the end of the year but the process has taken longer than anticipated.
The new framework will set out revised strategies for the development of Scottish sport and will make key stakeholders – the Scottish Executive, sportscotland, governing bodies and local authorities – more accountable for performance.