A brief update from the JudoScotland Chair, Marc Preston, on activity in April.
I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter and that you were able to enjoy a break during the month.
April was a relatively quiet month for events due to the school holidays, but that certainly didn’t mean a slowdown in activity behind the scenes, with plenty of work continuing across the organisation.
Firstly, I’d like to highlight the exciting new opportunities for judo that have arisen through sportscotland’s £18m increased investment. As part of this year’s Summer of Sport, affiliated clubs will have the opportunity to apply to host events, helping to engage new audiences and grow judo in their communities. Eligible clubs can develop Business Cases with JudoScotland as part of the Club Support programme, investment that is being targeted nationally to help clubs and communities ensure they have robust governance and to increase their capacity. A very exciting opportunity for our clubs and sport!
For me, much of April was taken up attending a number of essential governance and compliance meetings at JudoScotland. I would like to extend my thanks to the teams at AAB, Harper Macleod, and Children First, who are consistently on hand to provide JudoScotland with expert support, guidance, and advice.
On 28th April, I travelled to Walsall to attend the British Judo Association Board meeting. I’d like to thank Andrew Scoular, CEO, for looking after me during the trip and for kindly dropping me off at the airport afterwards.
Finally, with this summer’s Commonwealth Games fast approaching, best of luck to all athletes chasing qualification before the end‑of‑month deadline. An exciting summer of sport awaits!
Marc Preston, 7th Dan