The number of college students taking part in sport and physical activity in Scotland has more than doubled in the space of a year, according to a new evaluation of the national Active Campus programme.

Figures published by sportscotland’s show that participation across Scotland’s colleges rose from 30,473 visits in the programme’s first year to 65,490 in its second – an increase of 115%.

Active Campus was launched in 2023 through a partnership between sportscotland, Colleges Scotland and Scottish Student Sport, with the aim of bringing sport, physical activity and wellbeing into everyday college life. The programme operates through a network of 18 Active Campus Coordinators working across college communities.

The latest data shows that there were 65,490 visits in Year 2 – up from 30,473 in Year 1. 7,296 sport sessions were delivered during the second year of the programme, spanning 45 different activities, up 108% on the previous year.

While traditional activities such as football, fitness training, badminton, basketball and table tennis remain among the most popular, the fastest growth has been seen in a range of non-traditional sports. Participation in frisbee golf increased by 453%, swimming by 250%, paddlesports by 142% and curling by 59%.

Programme leaders say the positive figures reflect a growing appetite among Scotland’s college students for accessible, inclusive opportunities that extend beyond competitive team sports, and which support physical, mental and social wellbeing.

The programme received a significant boost in October 2024 with the announcement of £1.45 million in additional funding, securing the Active Campus Coordinator network until at least 2027 and allowing for longer-term planning and development.
Gavin Donoghue, chief executive of Colleges Scotland, said the programme was having a transformative effect on college communities.

“Active Campus is a game-changer for Scotland’s colleges,” he said. “It’s not just about sport – it’s about creating inclusive, welcoming spaces where students can connect, build confidence, improve their wellbeing and achieve their qualifications. The growth we’ve seen in just two years shows the appetite for these opportunities.”

Forbes Dunlop, chief executive of sportscotland, said the impact of the partnership was clear.

“It’s fantastic to see the significant impact this partnership, supported by National Lottery investment, is having on college life across the country,” he said. “We know how beneficial being active can be for physical and mental wellbeing, and these figures clearly demonstrate the commitment of Active Campus coordinators to embedding activity into daily campus life.”

The next phase of the programme will focus on improving data collection, addressing facilities and resource pressures, and building on the foundations established since its launch.

Case Study: Dumfries & Galloway College

Husband and wife Ana Maria and Sorin Sima are NQ Sport and Fitness students at Dumfries & Galloway College. From the very beginning, they felt warmly welcomed both at the college and within the Active Campus environment. They have participated in a variety of Active Campus activities including gym sessions, badminton, pickleball, football and table tennis.

Ana Maria explains how the duo went on to organise regular weekly basketball sessions for the other students with support from the college’s Active Campus Coordinator, Connor McGeorge. 

She said: “One day, my husband, Sorin, came up with the idea of introducing basketball as a lunchtime activity and asked if it would be possible. None of us expected what happened next.

“From the very first session, a surprisingly large number of students came along. I stayed by Sorin’s side to support him with anything he needed, and the atmosphere was absolutely amazing. Basketball had not been played at the college for several years, and the students’ enthusiasm was far beyond anything we could have imagined. The sessions were such a success that it was quickly decided that basketball would remain a weekly activity.

“The truth is, we never expected the sessions to grow so quickly and so much. At the same time, we were both working and also raising our two young children – a daughter and a son. Even with all this responsibility, we focused intensely on making the sessions successful, because we genuinely wanted to create something positive for students. It was challenging, but incredibly rewarding.

“As the sessions continued, our confidence grew and the basketball community around us kept expanding every week. We eventually decided to form both girls’ and boys’ basketball teams and take part in the Scottish Student Sport competitions. No one expected to win anything, but the girls’ team won 2nd place and the boys’ team won 3rd place. The emotions we felt in those moments are impossible to describe – it truly felt like living a dream.

“Active Campus has deeply changed our lives and our experience at college. It gave us confidence, motivation, purpose, and a strong sense of belonging. Because of this journey, our dream after finishing our studies is to open a basketball club – or even a larger arena – here in Dumfries, where children, young people, and adults can come together to play basketball, stay active, and grow through sport.

“We are extremely grateful for all the support we received and for the opportunity Active Campus gave us to turn an idea into something real and meaningful.”

Case Study: Dundee & Angus College

Before stepping into her role as Active Campus Co‑ordinator at Dundee and Angus College, Lauren Simpson worked as a Project Lead with a charity in Arbroath that used sport and recreational activities to promote health and wellbeing, build life skills, reduce social isolation, and strengthen local communities.

Lauren says: “I was drawn to the Co‑ordinator position by the opportunity to shape a brand‑new role and work directly with a diverse student community. Supporting students through meaningful, activity‑based experiences that enhance their time at college was a major motivator.”

Her weekly routine as an Active Campus Co ordinator is varied and fast-paced, reflecting the initiative’s wide reach. Lauren’s time is split between facilitating extra curricular clubs, delivering sessions during academic hours, working with targeted groups of students, and building or maintaining partnerships across the college and beyond. She also plays a key role in supporting volunteers and helping to coordinate competitive sport, including fixtures, leagues, and college representation opportunities.

She said: “What I enjoy most is leading student sessions – whether club-based or in a targeted approach. Each session offers something different, and seeing students engage, progress, and enjoy their activities makes my role so rewarding.”

One of the challenges she has faced is the uncertainty that can come with a broad, often independently delivered role. At times, Lauren has questioned whether she is “doing enough.” Over time, she has learned to stay grounded by focusing on doing her best each day and recognising the clear, positive impact her work has on the college community.

Her 2025 highlights reflect her passion for student experience and community engagement. Three standout moments include taking students to the College Finals, hosting Mr Graeme Dey MSP as part of the Women & Girls in Sport initiative and building collaborative links with the construction department. Each achievement opened new doors for students through competition, increased visibility, and meaningful cross‑departmental projects.

The impact of the Active Campus programme is evident. Lauren explains: “Students have been encouraged to try new activities, step outside their comfort zones, make friends, and develop confidence. One particularly memorable example for me came from a previously quiet, isolated student who joined the Badminton Club. Over time, he became more confident, started conversations with staff, built friendships, and eventually became part of a large social group that met regularly outside college. The confidence he gained through sport carried into other areas of his life.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Lauren is excited to build on the strong foundations of what she describes as the “fantastic” Active Campus initiative. She said: “My priority is to broaden the range of opportunities available to students and expand volunteer involvement, enabling a wider variety of sessions and supporting even more individuals across the college community to benefit from everything Active Campus has to offer.”

Case Study: Glasgow Clyde College

Natalie Dott has been the Active Campus Co-ordinator at Glasgow Clyde College since the start of academic year 2023-24.  During that time, Natalie has not only increased volume of activity across the college’s three campuses, and participation – by an impressive 350% but has also made huge strides in helping to establish new partnerships which all help to enhance the student experience. 
“When I first started this role there was little to no activity on our three campuses. At our Cardonald campus for example, activity was limited to some access to the gym and two fitness classes. The classes and gym facilities were mostly utilised by staff, with no activity for students to get involved in. 

“Fast forward to the first term of academic year 2025 and we have Monday to Friday access to the gym facilities at all three campuses, which is free for staff and students. There are also now 11 sports and fitness clubs with 12 sessions taking place each week for staff and students from all campuses to attend.” 

Engagement with students and staff were key for the success of the clubs. Natalie began by working closely with departments delivering one off and weekly sessions to get to know students within classes and to encourage them to join activities. An example of this was a three-weekly block of boccia sessions with some of the ASL classes at Langside campus. This also led to students finding out about other available clubs, for example one of the students in our basketball club found out it during these boccia sessions. 

Natalie’s close links with the Student Association also enables her to use their events throughout the year, like Freshers’ Fairs and Festive Markets, to promote any clubs or upcoming events to students. She has also helped to establish a number of one-off or annual physical activity events, including the ESOL college cup, basketball tournaments, ‘Girls night in’ events, as well as a range of team building activities for class groups at the start of the academic year. 

Natalie explains, “Establishing the general clubs has involved lots of partnership working to help build them into something bigger. Like our ESOL football team’s partnership with Queen’s Park Football Club. We now have three different ESOL football teams, one for each campus, and Queen’s Park kindly donated three kits to our teams, which means for the first time when all three teams play together, they each have a separate kit to represent their own team and campus. In our most recent campus game in December, 75 students were present, showing the interest and community that the football has helped developed within our ESOL department. 

Looking ahead, Natalie plans include more departmental working and linking in with areas that don't currently tend to engage with extra-curricular activities, to help to tackle issues such as retention and to build students’ sense of community on campus.