First Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Win goes to Anya from Carfin

It must have seemed like Christmas had come early for 6 year old Anya Murphy from Carfin in Motherwell.

Anya had previously attended the Games Legacy for Scotland ‘BIG BASH’ event at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell on 1^st October 2011. The event was sponsored by Event Scotland, North Lanarkshire Council and North Lanarkshire Leisure to celebrate the Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow in 2014 and featured 7 commonwealth games sports, together with a range of dance, music and artistic activities. 

Lucky Anya’s name was entered into a free prize draw and drawn from hundreds of entries from children attending the event who had completed an event survey.

Anya, along with her Mother and Father and big brother were invited along to the Time Capsule on Thursday 22^nd December 2011 to receive an ipod Touch from Stuart Gallagher, North Lanarkshire Leisure’s Business Development Manager.

The Chief Executive of North Lanarkshire Leisure Blane Dodds said: “I’m delighted that Anya took the time to complete a survey to tell us what she thought including ways that we can improve this and future events. The event was a huge success with over 2,000 people attending on the night, including many of the young people who take part in our COSLA award winning Saturday Sports Scene programme which is provided free of charge from 6-10pm every Saturday night at Shotts Leisure Centre, Wishaw Sports Centre, Airdrie Leisure Centre, Sir Matt Busby Sports Complex in Bellshill and the Tryst Sports Centre  in Cumbernauld. This innovative sports programme is aimed at 10-17 year olds and provided in partnership with a range of our statutory partners to ensure that young people have somewhere useful to go and something meaningful to do.”

James Logue the Chair of North Lanarkshire Leisure added “I’m sure that both from the London Olympics later this year and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 and following on from last years Children’s games hosted right here in Lanarkshire that many of our young people will be inspired to get involved and stay involved in sport and I’m delighted that we are providing ‘grass roots’ opportunities such as Saturday Sports Scene and the BIG BASH for this to happen. Ensuring that more young people are more active more often is truly a worthwhile legacy of the games”.

If anyone is interested in receiving more details on the free Saturday Sports Scene programme, further information can be found on NLL’s website www.nlleisure.co.uk or alternatively by contacting Mark McLaughlin, NLL’s Sports Development Officer in charge of the scheme on 01236 442 644 or by emailing McLaughlanM@nlleisure.co.uk