County Sports Partnership Update

Executive Board Meeting

The next Executive Board meeting will be held on Wednesday 30^th April at Staffordshire University . We have a very full agenda of diverse reports including:

Sport England CSP Governance Review
2008/09 Marketing & Communications Plan
Review of Constitution
Partnership Satisfaction Survey
Financial report toe end of March 2008
Sport England 4th Quarter Performance Report
Delivery Plan progress report 2007/08
CSN update
Local Area Agreements
Extending Activities Programme
Grant Aid and Community Investment Fund update

The Board will be making some key decisions in terms of the recommendations from the Sport England AHL Ltd Governance Review, updating the Constitution and considering the new Marketing & Communications Plan.

The Board will also be considering the results of the recent Partnership Satisfaction Survey and receiving updates on financial and delivery plan for 2007/08 performance, a progress report on CSNs, local area agreements, the Extending Activities programme and grant aid investment into the sub region.

To read the reports - click here.

For more information contact:

Mark Thornewill, Director
Tel: 01785 619896
Email: mthornewill@staffordbc.gov.uk

Sport England Review

The Sport England review on the future delivery of a world-leading sports system continues; details are expected over the coming weeks and we will keep Partners informed on progress.

For more information contact:

Mark Thornewill, Director
Tel: 01785 619896
Email: mthornewill@staffordbc.gov.uk

Moving On

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are sorry to be saying goodbye to our Business Development Manager, Jason Britton who will be joining the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as Staffordshire Cricket Development Manager in mid-May.

Jason has been with the Partnership since September 2006 and during that time has done some tremendous work on developing our Marketing and Communications plan, performance management and providing funding advice and assistance to a wide range of Partners on grant aid applications.

Jason was also instrumental in ensuring the Partnership's Community Investment Fund portfolio was successfully submitted resulting in many initiative projects receiving funding.

Jason's experience and enthusiasm will be missed by the SASSOT team but we are delighted that his talents will be retained within the Staffordshire sporting community in his new role with the ECB.

Welcome Back

Naomi Bird is due to return from her maternity leave on 12th May. The team look forward to Naomi returning and continuing her role as Marketing and Research Officer.

For more information contact:

Mark Thornewill, Director
Tel: 01785 619896
Email: mthornewill@staffordbc.gov.uk

Local leads identified for Extending Activities project

Local leads have been identified for Extending Activities, an exciting new project aimed at getting more young people involved in community sport.

As outlined in our previous newsletter, ‘Extending Activities’ is funded by the Government and is part of the new ‘Five Hour Offer’ giving all young people the opportunity to do five hours of PE and sport per week (click here for the full article).

Young People can be broadly divided into three categories:

30% ‘Very Sporty’ – those currently doing 2-3+ hours of sport outside of the curriculum
50% ‘Semi-Sporty’ – those currently doing approx 1 hour of sport outside of the curriculum
20% ‘Non-Sporty’ – those unlikely to be doing any sport outside of the curriculum.

The Extending Activities Workstrand focuses on the 50% of Semi-Sporty young people and aims to get them doing an additional 1-2 hours of community sport per week, by offering new opportunities or by marketing existing opportunities in a different way to ensure they appeal to this group of young people (i.e. by using different venues / methods of delivery etc.)

Extending Activities Delivery Plans are currently being drawn up to access the funding available for the project. Each local area (based on Local Authority boundaries) will be compiling a delivery plan by 9^th May. A lead organisation has been identified within each local area to co-ordinate this plan in conjunction with other local partners. The lead organisations and contacts are as follows:

Cannock Chase
Cannock and Rugeley School Sport Partnership
Lucy Stevenson, Partnership Development Manager
07976 399074
lucyestevenson@hotmail.com

East Staffordshire
East Staffordshire School Sport Partnership
Andrew Mawdsley, Partnership Development Manager
07951 393861
pdm@robertsutton.staffs.sch.uk

Lichfield
Lichfield District Council
Nigel Camacho, Youth Sports Development Officer
01543 308835 / 07736 497186
nigel.camacho@lichfielddc.gov.uk

Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle School Sport Partnership
Carl Inskip, Partnership Development Manager
07968 861303
cinskip@ccsc.staffs.sch.uk

South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire Council
Katie White, Cultural Services Manager
01902 696528
k.white@sstaffs.gov.uk

Stafford
Stafford Borough Council
Jenny Moore, Senior Sports and
Physical Activity Development Officer
01785 619565
jmoore@staffordbc.gov.uk

Staffordshire Moorlands
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
Ian Smith, Head of Leisure, Sport and Culture
01538 483738
ian.smith@staffsmoorlands.gov.uk

Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Andrew Heaward, Sports Development Manager
01782 238666
andrew.heaward@stoke.gov.uk

Tamworth
Tamworth School Sport Partnership
Ben Bulleyment, Partnership Development Manager
07773 421509
bb@rawlett.staffs.sch.uk

If your organisation wants to find out more about getting involved with Extending Activities in your local area, please contact the relevant person above.

For general information about the project, please contact:
Jane Kracke
Sports Manager
Tel: 01785 619187
Email: jkracke@staffordbc.gov.uk

Executive Board Champion Focus

This month we focus on David Pinnock, SASSOT's Finance and Investment and Marketing and Communication's Champion.

Stafford Enterprise Agency, Board Member. Formerly, Strategic Director, Stafford Borough Council.

David has many years local government experience of leisure and recreation issues and projects at local, sub regional and regional level. He has a positive outlook and believes effective partnership working is an important means of supporting organisations and individuals delivering sporting and recreational opportunities.

1. You hold two Board Champion's Roles - Marketing & Communications and Finance and Investment. From a marketing perspective how can we further improve the profile of the CSP and its work areas?

We need to continue to be clear and focussed on the areas where we want to keep on raising our profile. I think there are two particularly important elements. The first is ongoing advocacy of what we do and the resultant benefits. The main targets of this advocacy, in my mind, are the funders and potential funders and also the wider general public and key players such as MP's, and other potentially interested groups. The second main element, as I see it, is aimed at the clubs, organisations and voluntary groups who are involved with physical activity, so they see the Partnership as the first port of call for advice and support.

I think the way we further improve our profile in theses areas is by continuing to plug away with the communication we are doing, whilst checking its effectiveness. It is important that we listen to the people that we are communicating with and are prepared to change the way we do things to make us most effective.

The Board members and the staff of the Partnership all have an important role to play in the first element of advocacy. I see the developing Community Sports Networks having an important role to play in the second element.

2. And from a finance and investment point of view what changes would you implement, if any, to the way in which funding is distributed to local projects?

I think the way in which funding is distributed at the moment appears to work well, from my end of the telescope!

It would be interesting to understand it from the recipients (or non recipients) viewpoint. It is important to get the proper balance between local accountability, consultation and process so that credibility is retained across all areas whilst avoiding the whole thing getting bogged down in paperwork and delay.

It is also important that we continue to act transparently and to a set of criteria that is clear to all involved. I would like to see local funding of local projects as one of the key successes of our Partnership and one of the key elements of our ongoing future role.

3. If you could have one wish granted (money no object) to impact on particpation in sport and/or active recreation, what would it be?

One wish with two parts ( I have always been an optimist!). People and places. A large network of enthusiastic people who know their stuff to work with all ages at a local level and promote physical activity in a wide network of high quality indoor and outdoor facilities. The key message being that it is fun!

You can contact David by emailing: sportacrossstaffordshire.co.uk

If you wish to find out more about any of our other Executive Board members click here.

Next month we will be featuring Paul Ryan, SASSOT's Intelligence, Research and Performance Champion. If you would like to ask Paul a question contact Jason Britton by 23 May on 01785 619599 or email jbritton@staffordbc.gov.uk

Community Sports Networks

East Staffordshire United Review Terms of Reference and Sign up to “Together getting East Staffordshire active through sport and physical activities”.

East Staffordshire Community Sports Network is going from strength to strength. It has been established for over a year and they are now meeting the Sport England ‘Effective and Embedded’ criteria.

East Staffordshire United after a year of being established have just reviewed their terms of reference. This was signed off at their last meeting on 4^th April 2008. All of the partners within the Network are committed to achieving their vision “To work together to develop a strategic vision for East Staffordshire aimed at increasing opportunities and widening access to sport and physical activity to assist in raising current participation rates by at least 1% year on year”.

Over this year East Staffordshire United have developed a well-established and effective holiday provision sub group. This group focuses on producing one information leaflet containing information for the young people in East Staffordshire and their parents on what activities that are being provided over the school holidays. This is distributed to the schools of East Staffordshire through East Staffordshire School Sports Partnership before each holiday. Through this group a broader range of activities are being provided to get young people more active and partners are able to share valuable resources and ensure duplication does not occur in anyone area. This sub group is being led by Emma Gilbert, Sports Development Officer, East Staffordshire Borough Council.

East Staffordshire United have also recently formed an under 19 year old sub group. This is being led by Andy Mawdsley, East Staffordshire School Sports Partnership and will initially focus on Extending Activities.

East Staffordshire United have also now met the Sport England ‘Effective and Embedded’ Criteria. To achieve this they must demonstrate the following: -

Signed terms of reference or agreed through the minutes
Action plan agreed by the CSN and SASSOT (this can be collective partner plans/strategies which contribute to driving up participation).
Evidence of an agreed Mandate to lead sport and physical activity locally
Community Engagement
Strategic Planning (evidence of use of data jigsaw, a SMART signed off action plan and or costed, evidence of increased investment)
Multi Agency Working
Leadership

East Staffs United

Pictured above: East Staffordshire United partners

East Staffordshire Borough Council, South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust, County Sports Partnership linked to National Governing Bodies, East Staffordshire School Sports Partnership, Community and Learning Partnership, East Staffordshire Sports Council - Sports Voluntary Sector, Neighbourhood Regeneration, Community Safety and Youth Service.

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent wish to congratulate East Staffordshire on all their achievements and partner commitment.

Equity

Barclays Wealth helps Children's Charity score a landmark

Cauldwell Children and Barclays Wealth

The Caudwell Children 'Enable Sport' programme has been launched by Caudwell Children in partnership with Barclays Wealth to launch a three month initial programme to fund adapted sports equipment for gifted and talented disabled children to participate in competitive sport.... Read more

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Click here to read the April edition of the Equality Standard for Sport newsletter.

Extracted from the newsletter – useful for all partners to be aware of. Producing accessible information

The Royal National Institute of the Blind has produced “See it right” guidelines in a book that contains practical advice on designing, producing and planning for accessible information. More information about the book and other accessibility services provided by the RNIB can be found at See it right.

Click here to read the May edition of the Sporting Equals funding newsletter - May 2008.

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Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI)

IFI Marketing Seminar

Wolverhampton Swimming and Fitness Centre
21st May 2008

The IFI is running a series of seminars during 2008-2009. The first series of seminars focus on Inclusive Marketing and how to maximise the commercial potential of offering an inclusive provision. The seminars include key speakers from the leisure industry as well as case studies from IFI site users that have benefited from using an IFI facility.

Click here for more details

Upcoming Workshops

There are currently two Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) First Aid workshops available on our education and training programme. Please note that some sports have more stringent First Aid requirements for Clubmark and coaching purposes. Delegates should therefore check with their NGB before enrolling on this course.

We continue to deliver regular workshops such as Safeguarding & Protecting Children, Equity in your Coaching and A Club for All. Please note that due to declining numbers on the Equity in Your Coaching and A Club for All workshops, there have been few of these on the programme. If you are interested in these, please check the website for dates, as there is one of each workshop planned to the end of the year. If you find that you cannot attend the workshops we have planned, contact Kam and she may be able to help you find alternatives.

Plans are in-hand to run a First Aid Appointed Person workshop in Stafford in the near future. Please watch this space and check the website for further details.

For more information on the full list of workshops available please click here

Kam Webster
Acting Education and Training Officer
Tel: 01785 619695
Email: sassotadmin@staffordbc.gov.uk

Jobs and Careers

Don't forget forget to visit the jobs and careers page on our website as there is always something on offer that is not to be missed.

If you have a vacancy, be it a paid or a voluntary position, and want to advertise it for free, email it to Leigh Morton on lmorton@staffordbc.gov.uk

Events Calendar ... is yours listed ?

Do you have any key sporting events that you would like to be included on our Events Calendar?

If so, click here to access the template and fill in your event details along the lines of the Tennis example. Then simply return the template to Leigh Morton and your event will be available for all to see.

To view the Events Calendar to see what's currently on offer click here.

For more information contact:
Leigh Morton
Tel: 01785 619349
Email: lmorton@staffordbc.gov.uk

Dont' forget, a printer friendly version of this sport-e newsletter is now available. Simply click on the link at the top of the newsletter to print it off and read at your leisure.

If you would like to submit an article for inclusion in this newsletter please download the Newsletter Article Template and return to:

Leigh Morton
Tel: 01785 619349
Email: lmorton@staffordbc.gov.uk

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