News

The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent 2012 Steering Group is one of the sub regional groups for the West Midlands Leadership Group for the 2012 Games.  The Groups vision is to ensure Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent plays its part in making the 2012 Games a resounding success. We will embrace the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic ideals to engage our local communities and derive the maximum economic, sporting, cultural, health and social benefits before, during and long after the event.

County Councillor Maureen Compton, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent 2012 Steering Group Member said: "We have many talented athletes here in Staffordshire and would like to wish each and every one of them and their fellow British Olympic and Paralympic team members the very best of luck as they busily prepare for Beijing 2008".

Lee Pearson (pictured below), six-time Paralympic gold medal winner from Cheddleton, said: "Staffordshire is the best place to be in terms of both location being in the centre of the country and the support it has given to me as an athlete. l am off to compete in Paralympic Games in Beijing and will be doing my very best to bring home a medal"  

The following young athletes will be going to Beijing as part of the British Olympic Association's 'Britain's Olympic Ambition 2012' programme. The programme is designed to enhance athlete medal success at the London 2012 Olympic Games by providing talented potential team members with the opportunity to experience the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.   

Stafford:

• Elizabeth Neave,  Canoe Slalom - Stafford and Stone Canoe Club
• Rob Neave, Canoe Slalom - Stafford and Stone Canoe Club
• Mark Proctor, Canoe Slalom - Stafford and Stone Canoe Club

For more information on the athletes who are representing Staffordshire click here.

For further information please contact Chris Kirkland, Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Co-ordinator for the 2012 Games on:
Tel: 01785 854595
Email: chris.kirkland@staffordshire.gov.uk

Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Partnership Youth Games Inspires Olympic Hopefuls

Over 550 young athletes from across the county competed in Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent's Youth Games at Stoke-on-Trent's Fenton Manor Sports Complex and Newcastle-under-Lyme's Roe Lane Playing Fields on Saturday.  The young starlets, who represented their local authority teams braved Saturday's early showers to provide a fantastic sporting spectacle and as the sun began to shine the competition heated up.

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (SASSOT) sports manager Jane Kracke commented, "It was a wonderful day. All the hard work in putting the games together paid off. Thanks to all those who made the games happen, but a special thank you to all the competitors. We had some very high quality performances from our young athletes in all the sports competitions - I wouldn't be surprised if there was a future Olympian amongst them."

The day which was formally opened by The Right Worshipful The Lord Mayor of the City of Stoke-on-Trent, Councillor Derek Capey, started with an energetic display from dancers Signal 1 Hotshots who gave the audience of over 800 people an exhilarating hip hop and street dance demonstration. The competition then got under way, with athletes competing in girls' football, girls' cricket, tag rugby, table tennis, tennis and triathlon; in line with the Olympic spirit there was a demonstration of badminton and there were also taster sessions for those who wanted to try their hand at basketball and canoeing.

SASSOT's director, Mark Thornewill was pleased with the success of the day adding "The event is a key element of the Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent London 2012 Legacy Action Plan as we seek to build a lasting benefit for sport across the sub region.  We are grateful to Fenton Manor and Roe Lane for providing their excellent facilities in support of the event. Thanks also to Mark Harrod Ltd and Highland Spring who donated sports equipment and water for the day - it was a tremendous occasion with great support."

GB basketball star and former Stoke resident, Jo Sarjant was in attendance for the day as a Sporting Champion ambassador, giving a rousing speech during the opening ceremony to encourage the athletes to pursue their sporting dreams. Speaking to the assembled teams of athletes, Jo said "I used to dream of collecting a medal on a podium at a big event. By working hard and staying focused I achieved it by winning a Commonwealth bronze in Melbourne in 2006 - if I can do it anyone can".

For all of the event results click here   

'Shobnall Hosts Special Schools Stars'
2nd July 2008

Athletes from the county's special schools were the stars of the day as Shobnall Leisure Centre hosted Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent's (SASSOT) Special Schools Sports Festival on the 2nd July.

Over 200 pupils from 12 of the County's Special Schools enjoyed a day to remember at the Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Special Schools Sports Festival.  The event took place at Shobnall Leisure Complex, Burton upon Trent and was sponsored by Qualitel Business Telecoms Specialists.  The event provided a day to celebrate sport and to develop pathways for pupils to continue to participate in sport outside the school environment.

The athletes took part in coaching sessions and competed in events including zone hockey, tag rugby, cricket, football and athletics as the recent poor weather gave way to sunshine and smiling faces.

During the lunch interval, the athletes and supporters were treated to a hand-cycling demonstration by former GB Paralympian, Marcus Asbury. Marcus, who works as a Sports Development Officer, has had first hand experience of competing at the highest level in the Barcelona Paralympics in 1992. "Today has been all about participation. Despite disabled children experiencing a number of barriers, there are still opportunities, in terms of sport, for access and inclusion" he commented. "Who knows? We may have seen a budding 2012 Paralympics medal winner in the making here today."

The Mayor of East Staffordshire, along with a number of civic dignitaries from across the county, attended the festival and made a number of presentations to the successful teams. Councillor Liz Staples, Mayor of East Staffordshire commented, "The whole concept is exciting and worthwhile. It helps to bring children together for team sports and hopefully generates interest in sport that will last a lifetime."

The enjoyment on the faces of the young athletes was clear, especially those of the Tag Rugby team from Two Rivers School, Tamworth who won the Tag Rugby Competition for the fifth consecutive year.

For more information on the festival winners click here

Stafford Club Triumphs At Awards
18th April 2008

 

In the 30^th anniversary year of Special Olympics Great Britain and the 5^th anniversary year of Special Olympics Stafford we are delighted to announce being awarded Sports Club of the Year at the NPower West Midlands Disability Sports Awards 2008 on 17 April.

 

This prestigious event was held at Aston Villa football club and was attended by sporting celebrities such as Sir Trevor Brooking and Doug Ellis.

 

 Pictured above: left to right Sir Trevor Booking, Clive Gibson and Dave Sandford

 
The club was nominated by Anne George, a Development Officer from Staffordshire, who joined the coaches as part of the awards evening. She nominated the organisation because she recognised the work of this much needed outlet for young people with learning disabilities outside of school hours.

 

She acknowledged the improvement of the core skills of agility, balance and co-ordination and the sense of fun and enjoyment within the group which contributed to the overall physical wellbeing of the athletes involved.

 

Pictured above: Special Olympics Stafford

 

Special Olympics Stafford

 

Special Olympics Stafford was founded in 2003 by local man Clive Gibson who identified a shortfall in sports provision for young people with learning difficulties.


As part of the larger organisation the Stafford branch sought funding from a variety of organisations which included the National Lottery local businesses alongside a variety of fundraising events.

 

The Stafford Branch started with 8 young people and now has a role of over 20 young people.

 

Athletes compete in numerous events which include cross country, football and hockey tournaments and Special Olympics athletics meetings.

 

Members of the club include English Federation for Disability Sport (EDFS)
National under 15's 100 metre junior sprint champion.

 

After receiving £500 from the ACCESS across Staffordshire fund, Special Olympics Stafford hosted the first West Midlands Sportshall athletics event in December 2007 at Cannock Chase Leisure Centre, involving over 100 athletes.

 

Background

Special Olympics Great Britain (SOGB) was established in 1978 as part of the global Special Olympics movement. An accreditation licence is granted annually by Special Olympics International to Special Olympics GB to run the Special Olympics programme in this country.

SOGB is a UK registered charity under Charity No 800329 and is a company limited by guarantee.

Since our formation, we have grown steadily to reach our present position where we have more than 135 groups in England, Scotland and Wales offering 24 sports in our training and competition programme.

Sports include: Athletics, Alpine Skiing, Aquatics, Basketball, Boccia, Bowls, Badminton, Cricket, Cycling, Equestrian, Football, Gymnastics (Artistic and Rhythmic), Golf, Judo, Kayaking,

Training for athletes of Special Olympics Stafford takes place on Saturday morning from 9.30am at Rowley Park Stadium (summer) and Blessed William High School (winter) where a variety of athletics and multi ball sports are undertaken by the young people and are coached by volunteer coaches led by Clive Gibson and Dave Sandford. Clive can be contacted on 01785 604371 for further details.

 

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Staffordshire Youth Games seeks sponsors 25th January 2008 Sponsors are being sought for two sporting events organised by the County Sports Partnership, Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent. The 2008 Special Schools Sports Festival and the 2008 Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Youth Games will be held at Shobnall Leisure Complex, Burton and Fenton Manor Sports Complex, Stoke-on-Trent respectively in early July.

The events will see over 1,000 of the county's budding athletes from mainstream and special schools competing at two separate events and taking part in a wide range of sports and will aim to provide lasting pathways for the participants to enable them to continue to enjoy and succeed in their chosen activities. With the support of the National Governing Bodies and the Local Authorities the games will provide a springboard to bigger things and help identify future sporting talent.

 

"The games have proved a fantastic success in previous years, but a change in our remit as a County Sports Partnership means that we have limited funds available to support such events," commented Sports Manager, Jane Kracke. "We have already received some very positive news from a potential sponsor for our Special Schools Event and support from our local authorities for the Youth Games but we would still appreciate financial sponsorship and any in-kind support such as refreshments and equipment for the days would be fantastic."

 

Jason Britton, Business Development Manager for the Partnership commented, "With the 2012 Olympics fast approaching, a number of companies in the county may be hoping to tender for contracts linked with delivering the Olympic Games in London; sponsoring either or both of our events would be a great addition to the corporate CV's of those potential bidders and would really make a difference to the lives of the youngsters involved. Who knows? We might even identify a medal-winner for 2012 here in Staffordshire. "

 

For further information on how to become a sponsor please contact Leigh Morton at Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent on 01785 619349 or via e-mail at(lmorton@staffordbc.gov.uk).

 

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Staffordshire sets sights on 2012 London Olympics
7th January 2008

The economy, health and culture of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent could receive a major shot in the arm from 2012's London Olympics.

That was the message from a special conference, held on 7th January 2008, to chart out how the county can reap maximum benefit when the greatest sporting show on earth comes to Britain in four years.

The conference brought together representatives from a host of organisations within the county and the city of Stoke-on-Trent. These included local authorities, health organisations, businesses and a considerable number of young sportspeople.

An action plan will now be drawn up to see how Staffordshire will gain from an event that will attract thousands of the world's best athletes, tens of thousands of extra tourists and TV audiences of hundreds of millions.

Maureen Compton the county council's Cabinet Support Member for Culture and Heritage said: "The potential benefits are far-reaching and not simply economic. The Olympics will inspire people of all ages and offer a large range of opportunities for people to become involved.

"Today's conference has been a major success in bringing together a range of organisation to discuss our priorities. We can now begin to plan in detail how we can make sure that Staffordshire achieves a legacy from this one-in-a-lifetime event."

Pictured above: Maureen Compton and Chris Kirkland, 2012 Games Co-ordinator for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent


Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent's planning will focus on five key areas: children and young people; healthier communities; culture; tourism and economic and business development.

Cllr Compton continued: "The potential is enormous but needs to be planned for. For instance the games could give many young people the inspiration to become more active, even if they have no real ambition to become Olympians themselves. There will also be countless opportunities to volunteer, either by getting directly involved with the Olympics or taking part in community activities. We also need to ensure that local firms can benefit from the business opportunities as there will be very many contracts connected to the games that they will be able to tender for."

Councillor Derek Capey, Deputy Lord Mayor for Stoke-on-Trent said: "In Stoke-on-Trent we are committed to working with the rest of Staffordshire to make the most of the opportunities presented by the Olympics.

We are in advanced discussions with the Pakistan Olympic Team about them staying and training in the city. That would provide an economic boost and a cultural exchange between our communities. It would improve links between our two countries, help to raise Stoke-on-Trent's national and international profile and give local people a real sense of pride during the 2012 Olympics.

We are also working to ensure as many young people as possible are inspired to train, get fit and take part in sport in their communities. We have some of the best young athletes in England in Stoke-on-Trent. We will support them and, hopefully, help them to reach the Olympics too."

For more information contact:

Chris Kirkland
Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Co-ordinator for the 2012 Games
Telephone: 01785 854595
Mobile: 07773 791118
E-mail: chris.kirkland@staffordshire.gov.uk

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Staffordshire Olympic sports grant system launched
November 2007

A scheme to help young athletes achieve their 2012 Olympic dreams will be has been launched.

Pictured: Cllr Robert Simpson (black helmet) and Mark Proctor on the River Trent at Stone

Robert Simpson, Staffordshire County Council's Deputy Leader, took to the water to hand over the first Young People's Sports Grant to leading slalom canoeist Mark Proctor. The former Wolgarston High School pupil from Penkridge is aiming to make the 2012 Olympic squad and could even participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is the top athlete in his sport aged under 23.

Mark said: "Extra funding and recognition from Staffordshire County Council is a great boost to my hopes and helps improve my profile and that of the sport. I'm delighted to be the first recipient of a Young People's Sports Grant."

Mark, a member of Stafford and Stone Canoe Club and has competed in Australia, Brazil, Holland and Slovenia this year alone. And while overseas trips are funded by the British Canoe Union, the leading authority for the sport in the country, much of his training has to be self-funding.

Mark added: "Reaching this level in any sport is a full-time occupation and takes total dedication, and I am very grateful for the support I receive from my family and sponsorship."

The Staffordshire County Council grant scheme is designed to support sporting excellence and to encourage young people to achieve the highest standards in sport. Mark will receive £500.

Cllr Robert Simpson, Deputy Leader of the Council said: "We aim to encourage young people to engage in physical activity at all levels, and athletes like Mark can act as real role models for young people."

The 2012 Olympics will be the highest profile sporting event held in this country since the 1966 World Cup. We want to play our part in ensuring British athletes are successful and that a fair proportion of them come from Staffordshire.

If the success of our athletes in 2012 inspires others to be active and healthy then this grant will reap enormous dividends across the county."

 

Any young person can apply for the grant as long as they meet the three main criteria. They must attend a Staffordshire school or live in the county; must be involved in an Olympic sport or a priority sport identified by Sport England; be identified by their sport's National Governing Body as a member of a national development or performance squad.

Any young athlete who wants to find out more about the Young People's Sport Grant can contact Clive Jones, the County Council's Officer for Active Lifestyles on 01785 278266 or clive.jones@staffordshire.gov.uk

 

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SASSOT Receives Equity Award
Wednesday, 12th September 2007

Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent is pleased to announce that it has achieved the Preliminary Level of the Equality Standard - A Framework for Sport Accreditation.

Mark Thornewill was delighted with the achievement commenting, "The work of the Equity Group has been key to the Partnership achieving the standard and I want to say congratulations and a big thank you for their hard work and support of the Partnership. Delivery of our Equity Action Plan is a priority target for the Partnership and I look forward to our continued working relationship to implement the plan in order to widen access to sport and active recreation."

The Partnership's Access Across Staffordshire's funding scheme is still open for applications. The fund is open to Local Authorities and National Governing Bodies of Sport who require financial assistance to support or develop a new project which has an equality theme and fits into one of the target categories. The closing date is 4^th February 2008 for the second and final round of applications.

For more information contact:
Jason Britton
Tel: 01785 619599
Email: jbritton@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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SASSOT Receives Annual Achievement Award from SEWM
Tuesday, 11th September 2007

SASSOT are delighted to be able to announce that at the West Midlands Regional Sports Board meeting on 11 September 2007, Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent were awarded the Sport England West Midlands' County Sports Partnership 2006/2007 Recognition Award for Annual Achievements.

The award was made on the basis of the partnership's performance and delivery against the Performance Framework. SASSOT Director, Mark Thornewill received a trophy and a cheque for £5,000 for delivery of a programme, to be agreed with Sport England, to increase participation in Sport and Active Recreation in the sub region.   Mark commented, "The award marks the culmination of a very successful first year of operation and a great team effort by all involved with SASSOT. We must now consolidate upon our work so far and develop it further. We can look to some challenging times ahead and hope we can continue to maintain the momentum already achieved through the close collaboration of the board, its champions, the core and wider team members, and our partners. Thank you for your support in the achievement of the award. Well done everyone!"

Rauf Mirza, Chair, Sport England West Midlands Regional Sports Board, also presented awards to two other County Sports Partnerships in recognition of their specific achievements during the 2006/07 financial year:

Coventry Solihull & Warwickshire Sport received the 'West Midlands' County Sports Partnership Sports Equity Award 2006/2007'

Energize Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin received the 'West Midlands' County Sports Partnership Special Recognition Award 2006/2007'

To read more on the Sport England website click here

For more information contact:
Mark Thornewill
Tel: 01785 619896
Email: mthornewill@staffordbc.gov.uk

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RSB Rows into Staffordshire
Tuesday, 11th September 2007

Trentham Boat Club was host to members of the West Midlands Regional Sports Board on Tuesday 11th September. 

Organised in conjunction with SASSOT, a few plucky members of the Board and Sport England staff took to the water to try their hand at rowing. Their efforts were ably supported by the British Under 14 champions from Trentham High School and coaches Darren Barton and Nick Barr.

Everybody was enthused by the growth of rowing and canoeing in Stoke and how this links to local priorities to improve health, fitness and sporting opportunities across the region. 

For more information contact:
Mark Thornewill
Tel: 01785 619896
Email: mthornewill@staffordbc.gov.uk

CSP Thanks Trentham Estate
August 2007

Jason Britton (right) presents Trentham Estate's John Lowther, with the sponsorship memento.

Further CIF Investment into CSP Region
Friday, 31st August 2007

Two more projects based in the SASSOT region are to benefit from awards from Sport England's Community Investment Fund. The two projects have combined costs of over £500,000 and have received CIF monies to the tune of almost £80,000, and will target increasing participation in women and girls rugby and rowing and canoeing.

Staffordshire Rugby Development Partnership - awarded £31,460 towards the costs of a project to develop women's rugby in Staffordshire. The award will support a two year senior women's rugby programme to be developed through funding a part time women's rugby coach. The coach will work with key rugby clubs to help them set up women's rugby sections, as well as support existing sections to recruit more female players. The estimated contribution to an increase in people to taking part in sport in the region from this project is 250 women and girls from the Staffordshire area.

 
Trentham Water Sports Association - awarded  £48,000 towards a project costing £441,998 to build a new club house with changing rooms and storage for canoeing and rowing at Trentham lakes in Stoke.
The new facility will replace an existing building which is run down and due to be demolished as part of a redevelopment of the surrounding area.  The club aims to expand the take up of both canoeing and rowing from all members of the local community including women/girls, older people and disabled people. The estimated contribution to an increase in people to taking part in sport in the region from this project is 328 more people from the Stoke on Trent area taking up rowing and canoeing.

CIF has now committed over £1m of investment to projects in Staffordshire which aim to contribute to achieving an increase in the take up sport and active recreation.

More details on CIF can be obtained from Jason Britton, Business Development Manager at SASSOT, via jbritton@staffordbc.gov.uk or on 01785 619599

2012 Roadshow Visits Stafford
Wednesday, 15 August 2007

The London 2012 Roadshow rolled into Stafford on 15th August, when it visited Stafford Borough Council's Main Event at Rowley Park. Olympic triple jump gold medallist Jonathan Edwards and Commonwealth Gold Swimmer Adam Whitehead were also in attendance to promote the 2012 Olympics and to encourage the people of Staffordshire to take part in sport.

Visitors to the 2012 arena were treated to fantastic demonstrations of gymnastics, kickboxing, football juggling and circuit training, as the roadshow stopped off in Stafford for the latest leg of its 10-week countrywide tour. 

Edwards, who won Olympic gold at the Sydney Games in 2000 said, "I think it's fantastic. When we started the Olympic Games bid process back in 2003, one of the main aims was to try and encourage more young people to take part in sport.

"There is a health crisis among young people, and so we wanted to make a real difference. We are seeing that being realised now, and we just hope the momentum will continue to grow, as more and more people get involved in sport.

"This will be good for elite sport, with more youngsters coming through, but it will also be good for the country as a whole, as people will be fitter and healthier."

Adam Whitehead who won a Commonwealth breaststroke 100m gold medal in Manchester 2002 watched in amazement as the Stafford Acrobatic Gymnastics and Trampolining Club put on their display for the crowds. "I'm a swimmer so I felt a bit like a fish out of water here, but I enjoy watching any sport, and these kids have been fantastic" commented Whitehead.

"In this country we have a great tradition of watching sport and talking about sport, but hopefully through the roadshow we can encourage more people to actually participate in sport" he continued.

Visitors to the 2012 bus were encouraged to register for the 2012 Challenge. Participants could sign up to set themselves a challenge to achieve by 2012.

Pictured above left to right: Cllr Mike Smith, Mark Thornewill, Adam Whitehead, Jonathan Edwards
and Malcolm Duncan

Click here to sign up to the 2012 Challenge.

Partners Commit at Stoke Sports Summit
Thursday, 26 July 2007

Representatives from key delivery agencies across the city met at Crewe Hall last Friday 13^th July for the Stoke-on-Trent Sports Summit. The event was organised by Sport England and Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent as the first in a series of summits to address low rates of adult participation in sport and active recreation (as indicated in Sport England's recent Active People Survey).
 

The aim of the summit was to explore how the key delivery agencies from across the city can work together to drive up participation in sport and physical activity, thereby improving the health and well being of the people of Stoke-on-Trent.

The event was attended by heads of organisations and directors who have a direct influence upon local policy and outcomes, covering sport, health, regeneration, community services, business, crime prevention, higher and further education and the private sector.

"We can take pride from what has been achieved from this one event in terms of consensus to work together to address a problem which affects us all, and one towards which we can all contribute a solution." Commented Rauf Mirza Chair of the Regional Sports Board and Stoke resident. "As community leaders we need to ensure this momentum continues to grow and achieves the positive outcomes we all want."

The summit closed with the attendees each signing a declaration of commitment to work together to champion increased participation, enjoyment and success through sport and active recreation and to deliver on the agreed Action Plan.

Sports Coaching Conference a Success The inaugural Coaching Conference organised by Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent (SASSOT) last Sunday 29th April, proved a great success with over 100 sports coaches and volunteers attending workshops at Staffordshire University's Leek Road Campus. Graham Knight, former Technical Director of UK Athletics and Olympic coach was the guest speaker at the event which aimed to recognise, develop and promote the skills of sports coaches from our region and beyond.

"The event was a tremendous success and the culmination of some of the wider work of the Partnership to develop coaching as a profession and to begin to address some of the skills gaps and shortages that recent research has highlighted," said Ben Hollands, SASSOT Workforce Development Officer "We're working hard to increase the numbers of participants in sport, especially in the run up the London 2012 Olympics and the numbers of coaches and sports represented here today is testimony to the commitment of our coaches."

The day's content ranged from advice on how to make coaching a business to how to improve sport specific coaching sessions.

Alan Rogers, Badminton Coach said "It was a great day, with lots of inspirational ideas on a more professional approach to coaching especially in the school environment.

For further information on becoming a coach please visit the sports pages at www.sportacrossstaffordshire.co.uk or contact Ben Hollands on 01785 619317 or bhollands@staffordbc.gov.uk.

In addition to the 25 metre, six lane pool and new hall, the project includes an extension to the leisure centre's fitness suite and new multi-purpose room.  The new pool replaces the old, outdated facility at Hagley Park Sports College which no longer met the needs of the community and has been closed to the public for some time.