PB Interview
Ian Beattie
By Peter Jardine
T
he London Olympics loomed large when Ian Beattie assumed a key role for athletics in Scotland early in 2012. The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games were still very much in the middle distance horizon. Frank Dick had left the building and Ian, with previous Board experience with sportscotland plus club connections and umpteen marathons and ultra runs, was installed as our new Chair. With weekly summits with chief executives Nigel Holl, Mark Munro and now Colin Hutchison, he has spent much of the past nine years with an ear close to the ground and an eye on multiple operational projects. But the bigger picture, the wider vision for athletics and running, has never been far from his mind, either. Instrumental in our current strategy ‘Building a Culture of Success’ he is adamant that the responsibility for the wellbeing of the sport should be spread far wider than one or two individuals – be they Chair, CEO or Laura Muir. That broader view prompts Ian to sketch out a landscape where sport plays an even bigger role than it does at the moment in Scotland’s collective culture, economy and mental and physical health. ‘I believe sport has a hugely important role to play in the overall success of any country and has the potential to help the Scottish Government achieving a number of national outcomes,’ said Ian.
‘Unfortunately I do not think the potential of sport of a ‘factor for good’ is fully recognised by any of the political parties, and because of that we miss out on a lot of
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‘We need the kind of politic smoking ban legislation – a we look at sport and physic population in Europe by 2030? opportunities to recognise the positive role sport can play across areas such as physical ‘If we set that goal what would we need to and mental health, education, crime, the do to achieve it? Could we get all of our environment and economic wellbeing. political parties to recognise this is not a ‘If governments fail to recognise this party political issue, and work together to importance at a ‘macro’ level, any sporting achieve it? initiatives risk lacking a strategic rationale, and become no more than one-off projects. ‘We need the kind of political thinking that ‘What a difference there could be if our leaders recognised this and treated it as a much higher priority. For example, could we set a goal of Scotland having the healthiest
brought in our right to roam and smoking ban legislation - some big initiatives that change the way we look at sport and physical activity.’
