The Stirling Highland Games, a beloved annual event celebrating Scottish culture, is set to return this year on Saturday, August 17th, with support from two new sponsors joining their loyal long-term supporter, Specsavers Stirling. This historic event, known for its traditional competitions, bustling Traders Village, and engaging creative arts offerings, will be bolstered by the new support from Anatomical Concepts and Kings Park Hospital, who will be sponsoring the Adaptive Heavyweights and Track & Field competitions.
Specsavers Stirling, Anatomical Concepts, and Kings Park Hospital are among the leading companies stepping in to support the Stirling Highland Games this year. These organizations, known for their commitment to community engagement, are providing essential funding and resources that will allow organizers Ceangail to continue delivering their event plans. Matt McGrandles, Ceangail’s Executive Director, expressed his delight in welcoming these new supporters, stating, “I am delighted to welcome both Anatomical Concepts and Kings Park Hospital on board as supporters of the event this year. This level of support provides the backbone of event funding and through this collaboration, it will allow us to continue delivering these competitions and the many benefits the event brings to the city.”
Anatomical Concepts, who attended the event in 2022 to witness the para-athletes compete in the Adaptive Heavyweights events, eagerly jumped at the chance to become a supporter. Their support over the next few years will allow the competition to build on its success. Anatomical Concepts UK Director Carolyn Jones commended the Highland Games for its commitment to inclusion, stating, “The Adaptive Heavyweights is a unique event in the Highland Games calendar, and we want to raise the profile of the sport and of the athletes competing. Over the next few years of our partnership, we hope to increase the number of competitors and attract more spectators to the event so the games committee can continue to provide the same level of competition and prizes as athletes without a disability.”
Kings Park Hospital, a keen supporter of Stirling events, is sponsoring the Track & Field competition, one of several competitions at the Games. Their contribution will ensure the competition goes ahead with entries expected from top athletes across Scotland. Elizabeth MacLeod, Kings Park Hospital’s Executive Director, expressed her excitement in supporting the event, stating, “We are delighted to be supporting Ceangail and the Stirling Highland Games this summer. It’s great to engage with the local community through this much-loved event, and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone having a great day!”
The sponsorship from these companies will ease some of the financial burden for Ceangail, the event’s social enterprise, whose mission is to inspire young people into tourism through its Skills Connect Academy. With more event suppliers increasing their hire fees, the not-for-profit organization will need to be creative with its budget while still providing Stirling with a professional outdoor sporting event. Visitors can still look forward to a well-organized event with a variety of competitions, on-site traders, and creative arts offerings. However, Ceangail’s Executive Director Matt McGrandles explains that some difficult decisions may need to be made in the not-so-distant future. He stated, “There is no question that small events are feeling it this year with most suppliers increasing their costs. I think we have seen four other Highland Games fold because of a lack of financial security. Highland Games are caught between a rock and a hard place as the event can’t continue to pass on these increased costs to customers through ticket sales. Decisions will need to be made at some point soon about this year’s scheduling, so I can’t thank our current supporters and friends enough for seeing the vision we have for the event and getting behind it, but we do need more support.”
Since the pandemic, supplier hire fees have skyrocketed, and this year sees a 10-year partnership with Active Stirling being terminated, resulting in a hefty £1700 bill to hire the field in its place. Matt expressed his disappointment in this decision, stating, “I was certainly disappointed to be told that the Active Stirling Board and Senior Managers at Stirling Council decided this was the right approach. All reasoning has fallen on deaf ears to date, so we did have to increase our entry ticket price slightly to try and cover their costs.”
However, the generous support from Specsavers Stirling, Anatomical Concepts, and Kings Park Hospital will allow these competitions to continue, with the event having a positive impact on the Stirling community. This year, the event expects to see a skills connect program delivered for a group of 20 young people, attract over 300 athletes to compete, place over 5000 visitors in front of up to 50 small business traders, generate over £600,000 for the local economy, and encourage more youngsters to try sports in the Community Area if a new sponsor can be found.
Specsavers Stirling has been a supporter of the Heavyweights competition since
