KKP has recently completed in-depth analysis of sports participation in Scotland across a range of 57 different sports and for every local authority, with the aim of providing a:

• current profile of sports participation in Scotland, including regional and local authority perspectives.
• summary of key information from the surveys.
• series of factsheets profiling participation at local authority level for every council area in Scotland and in selected individual sports.

Methodology

KKP was commissioned to analyse and present data taken from the TNS Scottish Omnibus Survey and processed by the University of Edinburgh.

The company was selected for its ability to handle large and complex datasets and to produce clear and succinct reports. KKP's analysis of the data has focussed on the identification of and variation in trends by type of sport participation, personal and household characteristics and location.

Key findings

The overall picture that emerged from the analysis is that participation in Scotland varies by factors such as type of sport, location and personal characteristics. For example:

• Males generally have higher participation levels than females, particularly for outdoor and team sports, with club membership patterns mirroring those for participation. However, KKP has also identified areas that buck this trend.
• Two fifths of those surveyed did not participate in any form of sport or physical recreation (including walking) during a typical four week period.
• The most popular individual sports and physical recreations were walking, swimming, cycling, football and golf. However, KKP also identified how these vary by age groups, gender and across different parts of the country.
• The highest rates of non-participation were seen in the Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire local authority areas.
• Participation rates are strongly affected by the inclusion of walking as a physical activity, highlighting the importance of walking as a leisure activity. 
• Those living in rural area have slightly higher tendencies to participate in sports than those from urban areas. 
• People in Scotland are more likely to do voluntary work if they are involved in some form of sport. This underlines the wider social and community contribution that often accompanies an involvement in sports.

In addition to a comprehensive report covering all aspects of the study at a national level, further in-depth analysis has been conducted for each sport and local authority area. This has been presented in the form of user friendly factsheets that are to be published by sportscotland.

A separate report was produced for children and young people as the dynamics and drivers are different for this generation.

Outcomes

The combined analysis of this comprehensive dataset alongside an extensive time series of data on sports participation will assist sportscotland in making informed decisions on policy development and resource allocation to support the national ‘Aiming Higher' strategy document.

Jon Best, the Senior Research Manager who commissioned the work said, "The forensic analysis conducted by KKP has given us re-assurance as well as invaluable insight to inform our future planning. We will now share these learnings with our key partners and stakeholders. We will work with them to build on current strengths and take advantage of further targeted opportunities to raise participation in sport."

For an independent view on this case study, please contact Jon Best, Senior Research Manager, sportscotland.

Download the sport factsheets from the sportscotland website

Dowload the local authority factsheets from the sportscotland website