Our Achievements

Winner of Awards from the International Association for Sport and Leisure Facilities

Shetland Recreational Trust is proud to hold awards from the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) in recognition of our exemplary facilities. IAKS is a non-profit organisation working in the field of sport and leisure development and is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In 1983, the original Clickimin Leisure Centre was awarded an IAKS Silver Award and in 1999 the pool extension secured a Bronze Award. The rural leisure centres in Unst and Yell were awarded a special distinction in 1991.

Scottish Tourism Awards

Scotland’s national tourism organisation, Visit Scotland, uses a five-level star-grading system to indicate the standard of customer care and range of facilities on offer at assessed establishments. All Shetland Recreational Trust’s leisure centres have been awarded a 4* grading, in recognition of our excellent standards, while the West Mainland Leisure Centre holds an exceptional 5* grade.

NatWest Island Games XI - Shetland 2005

Even before the first gold medal had been won in the 11th NatWest Island Games, Shetland had already created its own little piece of history by becoming the smallest island group to host the gathering. Around 2,400 competitors, officials and supporters arrived by sea and air to be looked after by upwards of 800 volunteers. Fifteen islands were represented at the first Games; in Shetland there were 24, contesting 15 separate sports. The ‘Inter-Island’ Games were born in the Isle of Man in 1985, with the intention of bringing together a number of small islands from different parts of the world in friendly competition. The intention is to provide an opportunity for hundreds of sportsmen and women from small island communities to compete and enjoy international competition against other islanders with similar standards of performance. Other benefits of such a unique festival of sport are the opportunities for cultural exchange and social interaction with visiting teams, and to establish new lifelong friendships with fellow islanders. State-of-the art squash courts and refurbished athletics facility at Clickimin are just 2 examples of the lasting physical legacy of the Games for Shetland.

European Community of Sport Award for 2013

Mr Joe Irvine, Chairman of Shetland Recreational Trust, acknowledged Shetland’s success in gaining international recognition by winning the European Community of Sport Award for 2013. He said, in the 2012/13 Annual Report, ‘the judges were very impressed with Shetland Recreational Trust Centres and the contribution made by staff to sport in Shetland. With Shetland Sport Strategy now firmly in place and the lead in to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in full swing, the next year should prove even more exciting’.

Supporting People with Mental Health

In 2012, Shetland Recreational Trust signed a ‘See Me’ pledge to work towards ending the stigma and discrimination experienced by people with mental health problems.