An Estates Management surveyor at the University of Strathclyde has won funding to research world-class sports and fitness centres overseas.

Head of Asset Management, Val Hunter, 41, of Stirlingshire, beat hundreds of competitors to win a grant from the prestigious Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. She will travel to Scandinavia, Canada, the USA and Australia to examine top sporting facilities and meet policy makers.

The trip will involve looking at how other countries are dealing with health issues, including obesity, before bringing her findings back to Strathclyde in a bid to improve the future of sport and well-being in Scotland.


Val is following in the footsteps of her father, David Smith, 71, former Chief Inspector of Strathclyde Police, who won funding from the Churchill Trust 20 years ago to research juvenile crime.

She said: “The trip is a fantastic opportunity to research the latest sports and recreation facilities across the world, and I’m really looking forward to bringing my findings back to Strathclyde.

“The University has a holistic approach to sports and fitness – we think it’s something everyone can take part in, and we’re very keen to encourage participation. I'll be using the trip to not only look at sports facilities, but at the differing attitudes towards fitness and recreation.

“It is a real honour to be taking what will be a trip of a lifetime, and I’m absolutely delighted to have been given this opportunity.”

During the application process Val was interviewed by Randolph Churchill, great grandson of Sir Winston, Sir Terence English, who performed the UK’s first successful heart transplant in 1979, and triple jumper Jonathan Edwards, who is one of only four athletes in the world to have held all four major titles of Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth at one time.

(CD)