National Lottery Heritage Grants £10,000 to £250,000
Taking place every two years, the competition has gone from strength to strength since the very first Inter-Island Games on the Isle of Man in 1985. A total of 28 different islands, island groups and territories from around the world have taken part. At the 2025 Games, teams will compete in 12 sports ranging from triathlon to lawn bowls.
Our funding – awarded to the Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland – is supporting a series of projects focused on bringing people together and highlighting remarkable stories from this unique sporting tradition.
The foundation are establishing two new Sporting Memories Clubs in Orkney, bringing older members of the community together for social and physical activities, inspired by sport, to support their happiness and wellbeing. Over 40 such clubs, in person and online, are run across Scotland, but these will be the first in Orkney.
Volunteers are being recruited to research and record oral histories of Scotland’s proud Island Games heritage, creating a sustainable online archive. This work will connect with Memory Makers, an intergenerational programme of events, including dementia-inclusive singing.
During the Games, an exhibition will share memories – written, spoken and visual – gathered from this global community.
Chris Wilkins, CEO and Co-Founder of Sporting Memories, said: “We hope to capture the cherished memories of those who have been involved with the games throughout its 40-year history, whether it be as a competitor, spectator, or a volunteer. We want to collect the rich history of the competition to share across the generations.”
Find out how you can support Sporting Memories as a volunteer or discover more projects we’ve supported across Scotland.
