As the 2026 Commonwealth Games prepare to kick off in Glasgow this week, two SSS staff members are preparing for a busy couple of weeks.

Head of Competitions Chris Purdie and Business Manager Julia Stenhouse-Walton have both secured key voluntary roles with Team Scotland, meaning they will be at the heart of the action in Glasgow.

As previously announced, Chris will hold the title of Deputy Chef de Mission for the Games, taking responsibility for a lot of the background logistics that will allow the sizable Team Scotland squad to operate smoothly.

Julia, meanwhile, has built on experience from the 2022 Commonwealth Games to work in the Celebrating Success branch of the media team, supporting athletes with their duties post-event.

Ahead of Thursday’s Opening Ceremony, we caught up with Julia to hear about her Team Scotland journey…

Take us back 12 years – where were you for Glasgow 2014 and what are your memories of those Games?

Julia: “I was six months shy of my 16^th birthday when applications closed to be a volunteer for Glasgow 2014. I was absolutely devastated. I remember emailing the hiring manager to try and persuade them to make an exception! So, in 2014, I attended the games only as a spectator. I was playing as a hockey goalkeeper at school at the time, so we got tickets for what felt like all the hockey matches. What I remember most is the Malaysian women’s goalkeeper. She was utterly incredible!”

How did you first get involved with Team Scotland as a volunteer?

Julia: “I had worked a volunteer digital media role at Team GB for the Tokyo Olympics, and found that I really loved sharing the stories of Scottish athletes. When the volunteer media roles for Birmingham 2022 opened shortly after, I jumped at the chance to apply. I was really lucky to be selected as Digital Officer for Team Scotland that year. After my experience at the 2022 Games, I was eager to come back for more!”

What are you most excited about with these Games?

Julia: “It feels pretty special that this time around I get to experience a home Games as part of Team Scotland, just as I dreamed of when I was 16. Birmingham was a fantastic experience, but there’s something extra special about a Games being hosted in Scotland.”

What skill that you’ve developed at SSS will be most beneficial in your role with Team Scotland?

Julia: “I think the main skill I’ve further developed, and one that will really benefit me in this Team Scotland role, is clear communication. In my role at SSS, I support the organisation of large-scale member events. These events require consistent, clear communication with partners, members and venues, as well as across our staff team, to make sure everything runs smoothly. It’s a skill I’ll be putting to good use as part of the Celebrating Success team with Team Scotland this summer.”

How does volunteering in a games environment improve or develop you when returning to the day job?

Julia: “A Games environment is what I’d describe as “enjoyable chaos”. It teaches you to make decisions quickly, think on your feet and adapt to whatever comes your way. There’s often no time to overthink, so you have to stay switched on and solve problems creatively. It’s a brilliant lesson in prioritisation, thinking outside the box, and staying calm in an ever-changing environment. All these skills are really useful when returning to the day job!”

Lastly… Prediction time – where will Team Scotland finish on the medal table?

Julia: “#1 Always! LET’S GO SCOTLAND!”

Scottish students, staff, and volunteers will be front and centre of the action as the 2026 Commonwealth Games gets underway in Glasgow this week.

3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories arrive in Glasgow to compete across ten sports, with the action kicking off with the Opening Ceremony this Thursday.

The opportunity for a home Commonwealth Games is something most athletes can only dream of. It is especially notable for this generation of athletes as many grew up and were inspired by Glasgow’s last Commonwealth Games in 2014; citing the event as pertinent in them falling in love with their sport.

Who to look out for?

Those in search of medal opportunities for Scottish students should start their search at the pool where students are prominent in the Team Scotland squad.

Leading the charge is our two-time Scottish Student Sport Female Athlete of the Year Angharad Evans (University of Stirling). British record holder in both the 100m and 200m Breaststroke, she will compete across individual and relay events in a bid to boost Team Scotland’s medal haul.

Evans is one of 18 swimmers based at the University of Stirling who will compete, representing Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Malaysia. of that number, eight are also supported by the Winning Students 100 Scholarship.

A total of 27 students competing in Glasgow were recipients of a Winning Students scholarship in 2025/26, which supports students competing at the highest level of sport alongside their studies.

On the track, Megan Keith (University of Edinburgh) will be helping lead the capital institution’s hopes as she competes over the 5,000m and 10,000m events, while sprinters Alyson Bell (University of Edinburgh) and Lucy Fraser (University of Glasgow) will be part of a women’s 4x100m squad pushing for home success.

Fraser has also been a mainstay of our Scottish Student events this season winning Gold in the 400m at our Indoor Championships (in a Championship Record), and completing the 100m/2oom double at Outdoors in Aberdeen.

Two student gymnasts will take to the floor in Cameron Lynn and Crystelle Lake (both University of Stirling), while the university will also be represented by Shayne Humphries who will play in Scotland’s first Commonwealth Games 3×3 wheelchair basketball team. Joining Humphries will be West Lothian College student Finlay Erskine, one of two Scottish college students competing.

The University of Strathclyde are represented by Mark Stewart in track cycling and Lexy Gillies in netball, who is joined in the squad by Jazmine Moore (University of Glasgow).

Judo sees a number of current students compete, including Sunny Doig (Heriot-Watt University), Eva Ewing (City of Glasgow College), and Sophie Wood (Edinburgh Napier University).

In the SEC, Team Scotland will be hoping that Weightlifter Alex Mackay (University of Dundee) can produce a similar performance to the one that secured them the British Championship last month.

Who else is involved?

Aside from the athletes, staff from across the sector are involved

We’re also delighted that two of our staff team are involved with Team Scotland – Chris Purdie as Deputy Chef de Mission and Julia Stenhouse-Walton who will support the Celebrating Success media team. Hear more from them soon.

Finally, the Games would not be possible without the incredible number of volunteers who have stepped up. Many are current students with a number also current volunteers with SSS. We’ll be chatting to a few of them about their experiences throughout the summer.

Updated 30/06/26

We can reveal the 13 institutions that have been successful in securing funding as part of the Summer of Sport. 

Last month Scottish Student Sport were awarded a significant financial sum from sportscotland thanks to the Summer of Sport programme, intended for distribution to institution-led projects on an application basis. 

More information about the Summer of Sport can be found at the bottom of this page.

With the funding period running through to March 2027, many of these projects will run once the academic year commences, supporting students arriving or returning to campus. 

Momentum is building with briefing calls taking place to help kick these projects into life. 

The current list of successful institutions are below. Discussions continue with a couple of members and more details will be released soon. 

We are also pleased to note some other local authority partnership projects, including the University of Edinburgh’s Friday afternoon project for communities in South-East Edinburgh. 

As and when each institution announces their respective funded projects, we will make details available on this page. 

• Borders College – multi-sport camps and a personal wellbeing project in Galashiels 

• City of Glasgow College – 5-a-side project at Glasgow Green 

• Glasgow Clyde College – ESOL cricket, football and pickleball in Cardonald 

• Dundee & Angus College – multi-sport projects in Dundee and Arbroath 

• Dumfries & Galloway College – roadshow activities across the region 

• Edinburgh Napier University – workforce training, supporting new students into activity 

• Fife College – street games festival in Dunfermline 

• University of Stirling – summer camp delivery and supported transitions 

• Robert Gordon University – summer camp delivery and supported transitions 

• UHI Moray – swimming for Skills for Life students, based at Moray Leisure Centre 

• UHI Perth – mental health-focused programme, including table cricket 

• West College Scotland – multi-sport camps and transition sessions across Greenock, Clydebank and Paisley 

• West Lothian College – inclusive summer sport and transitions programme in Livingston 

Published 26/05/26

Students across Scotland’s Colleges and Universities will be able to enjoy a Summer of Sport thanks to a significant investment in tertiary education from sportscotland.

SSS have been successful in securing funding on behalf of the tertiary education to support free and low-cost opportunities for young people to get active as part of the national Summer of Sport programme.

The sector-wide bid means we will now distribute funds directly to Scottish institutions to support specific projects with successful bids set to be announced in the coming weeks.

The fund is part of an £18 million cash injection from the Scottish Government designed to help communities celebrate an incredible Summer of Sport, which will include the FIFA World Cup and a home Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. A total of £1.75 million was allocated to National Partners with SSS bidding from this pot.

Helping students celebrate an incredible few months of sporting activity, we will also support projects covering the transitional period of students returning to campus, helping maintain the momentum of this summer.

Commenting, SSS COO Stew Fowlie said:

“The Summer of Sport campaign is a wonderful development and I am delighted that SSS has been recognised as a key national partner in delivering the campaign.

“Significant funding secured by SSS will support a brilliant variety of projects, linking campuses and communities across Scotland. This will help provide opportunities for many many hundreds of folk that otherwise might not have had the chance to get active – with extra effort being taken to keep them going into 2027 and beyond.”

About the 2026 Summer of Sport:

The 2026 Summer of Sport will provide children and young people across Scotland the opportunity to get active in their local communities through events and activities hosted by schools, clubs, sporting bodies and local authorities. Free and low-cost opportunities will be provided with investment from the Scottish Government and delivered by sportscotland, as the excitement of the FIFA World Cup, Commonwealth Games and more inspires a generation to get involved in sport and physical activity.

The Summer of Sport forms part of a wider £20 million Scottish Government investment in sport and physical activity across Scotland, including:

• £15 million for the Summer of Sport, providing free and low-cost sport and activities for children and young people.
• A universal learn-to-swim offer for every primary school child in Scotland, that will continue beyond 2026, backed by initial year-one investment of £2 million.
• A £2 million ‘Celebration of Football’ fund, aligned with the FIFA World Cup, using the power of Scotland’s national game to change lives through football.
• A £1 million ‘Health in the Community’ campaign targeting areas with low activity levels to become and stay active.