The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has recently launched ‘The Future of Public Leisure and Sport – An Investment in Wellbeing‘, the second in a series of white papers to be published in advance of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is pleased to see that Inclusion is explicitly highlighted as one of the five key themes of the new COSLA White Paper. The paper uses the SDS Call to Action as a reference and cites the multiple and complex barriers that many people face which serves to widen activity and health inequalities. The first ask is investment in national affordability programmes which SDS champions to reduce some of the cost barriers people with a disability face when accessing sport and leisure.
The paper highlights a pivotal moment for Scotland, arguing that improving population health, supporting inclusive economic growth and restoring sustainable public finances will require a decisive shift from crisis response to long-term prevention.
COSLA is urging the incoming Scottish Government to work in partnership with Local Government to unlock the full preventative potential of leisure, sport and physical activity, and to support a healthier, more equal and more prosperous Scotland.
You can read the COSLA White Paper here: COSLA-White-Paper-An-Investment-In-Scotlands-Wellbeing.pdf
Learn more about SDS’s Call to Action and the SDS National Survey.