£1.8m National Coaching Bursary Scheme

 

The National Skills Academy in partnership with Sport England, SportsCoachUK and SkillsActive has a bursary scheme available for coaching qualifications.

 

 

The bursary offers a contribution of up to 66% towards coaching qualifications for all active coaches.  To qualify you must have either started or completed a course between 01 Jan 09 and 31 Mar 09.

 

Bursaries are not unlimited therefore applications will be accepted on a first come first serve basis.  In additional, each sport has been allocated an amount of money to spend.

 

In return for funding you must be able to deliver a minimum of 20 hours coaching upon completion of your coaching qualification.

 

To apply for a rebate for any courses you have either started or completed between the required dates simply click on the following link and fill in the simple application form:

 

http://www.skillsactive.com/sport/projects/325_bursaries_and_funding

 

For more information contact:

Andy King
Workforce Development Officer
T: 01785 619317
E: aking@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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More success for SASSOT's Olympian Archer

 

Alison Williamson, SASSOT's Physical Activity Development Manager, was one of GB's archers who recently shone in Santo Domingo.

 

Just beaten by five points in the final by former world champion, Italy's Natalie Valeeva, in the first World Cup event of the season in the Dominican Republic, Alison a brought home a silver trophy from the individual archers' competition.

 

 

The tournament that took place on 6 April was the first of four where performance counts towards qualification for the fourth Grand Final, which this year takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark.

 

Alison then went on to win a bronze medal in the women's trio team event when she and team mates Charlotte Burgess and Amy Oliver beat Colombia in the third place shoot-off.

 

 

Alison who achieved an Olympic bronze medal in 2004, has been competing at the highest level for nearly 20 years now which says so much about her attitude and determination that she still has the hunger for success.

  

Alison Williamson picture with her silver trophy and bronze medal

 

Alison's day job as Physical Activity Development Manager sees her supporting SASSOT partners and people within their local communities to become more energized, active and healthier through sport and physical activity.  

 

Alison Williamson
T: 01785 619695
E: awilliamson@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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Rural Communities – Sport England’s Themed Funding Round 

 

Sport England have opened the Rural Communities Themed Round which aims both to address barriers and create new opportunities for participation in sport in rural communities.

 

The overall aim of this investment programme is to develop projects that encourage people living in rural communities to participate and / or sustain their participation in sport, and help those with talent fulfil their potential.

 

Successful projects and bids will be directly linked to at least one of Sport England’s strategic aims of:

• Grow: getting one million people doing more sport and working with the Youth Sport Trust to enable young people to access at least five hours of sport a week
• Sustain: increasing participants’ satisfaction with their  sporting experience, and reducing the number of young people aged 16-18 who drop out of sport
• Excel: improving talent development. 

Who can apply?

The programme is open to applicants from sports clubs, voluntary or community organisations, local authorities and educational establishments (such as schools, colleges and universities) which provide participation opportunities in community sport.

 

Private sector organisations are also eligible to receive funding, provided they can demonstrate that the project is for the public good or a charitable purpose and that neither the company nor its shareholders will receive any financial gain.

 

Applications from an individual, sole trader, or partnership are not eligible for funding.

 

Projects must: 

• Benefit people living in rural communities as defined in the relevant section below
• Relate to a recognised sporting activity.
• Include an element of partnership funding in cash or in kind
• Not yet have started

Sport England will only consider projects which benefit people who live in areas classified as Significant Rural, Rural-50 or Rural-80 for the Rural Communities Themed Round.

 

The Local Authortity areas within Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent that are eligible for this funding are therefore: 

• Cannock Chase
• East Staffordshire
• Lichfield
• South Staffordshire
• Stafford
• Staffordshire Moorlands  

What types of projects can be funded?

Applicants are able to apply for either a capital or a revenue project, or a combination of both.

 

What are considered to be eligible revenue costs? 

• Revenue costs associated with the delivery of the project once a facility is in operation, from up to six months prior to its opening through to three years after opening
• Education and training opportunities. This could involve providing groups with the opportunity to increase skills and become more self-sufficient in providing sporting opportunities. Localised mentoring schemes could be appropriate, as could access to accredited training opportunities
• Salary and on-costs
• Start-up costs; Advertising costs
• Recruitment and interview costs
• Travel and subsistence costs for project workers, coaches, volunteers, etc
• Development costs including marketing, eg promotional leaflets, flyers, banners, costs of establishing a website etc
• Training and capacity building eg costs for training staff / volunteers, course fees, the costs of bringing in trainers
• Partnerships and activity development. This might involve costs for running activities and coaching courses eg transport, equipment hire / purchase, staff costs etc
• Extensions in size of existing revenue projects.

 

What are considered eligible facility projects or costs?

Examples of they type of facilities that can obtain funding from Sport England are as follows: 

• Facilities. changing associated their and halls ancillary halls, sports pools, swimming as such facilities indoor extended or;
• New, upgraded or extended outdoor sports facilities, such as pitches, courts, floodlighting and associated changing facilities
• New, upgraded or extended specialist facilities, such as climbing walls, ski slopes, gymnastics pits and launching slipways
• Essential support facilities eg changing rooms, showers, toilets for participants and officials, equipment stores, improvements to make facilities accessible to people with disabilities and social / activity areas (where integral to a project but not the dominant element).
• Purchase of the freehold and long leasehold (ie 99 years) of land and sporting rights
• Purchase of sports equipment (eg safety equipment, rescue vehicles, safety boats, club boats, gliders, gymnastics apparatus, rollers, etc)
• Rescue vehicles or those specially adapted for use by disabled people might be eligible in exceptional circumstances.  

Assessment criteria
Once the eligibility of the application is established, applications will be assessed against the following criteria, which are listed in priority order. 

1. Impact
2. Value for money
3. Evidence
4. Deliverability
5. Innovation
6. Sustainability
7. Local relevance

Application process
The application process for all of our Themed Rounds of funding will be two-stage.

 

Stage One
From 24 April 2009, we welcome initial applications from organisations looking to receive funding from our Rural Communities Themed Round.  This first stage of application will close at 5pm on 30 June 2009.

Organisations wishing to apply will need to complete Sport England’s standard application form, and answer a number of additional questions specific to this themed round.

 

Stage Two
Final bids must be received by Sport England by 5pm on 31 October 2009. Bids received after this deadline will not be assessed.

 

How to apply?

1. Review the Rural Community Themed Round's purpose, eligibility and assessment criteria,and frequently asked questions to assess whether your proposed application is eligible.
2. Complete the initial application form. This can be accessed on

http://funding.sportengland.org/funding_programmes/rural_communities1.aspx

 

If you would like some pre-application advice please contact Sport England on: 08458 508 508.

 

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Workshops 

 

We want to hear from individuals or clubs to understand how you have benefited from the workshops and how these may have contributed to your development as a coach.  For example, you may have attended the session on Analyse Your Coaching that led you to develop a specific area in what you deliver.      

 

This information will be used to produce a full monthly feature within a separate article, for example “ The Day in Life of A Coach”.  It would enable us to track some successes out there and to acknowledge this success with 3 FREE WORKSHOPS of your choice.  Please call or e-mail Kam Webster to discuss this offer. 

 

The SASSOT Education & Training workshops for May to the end of the year are currently being finalised. Apart from the standard workshops i.e. First Aid and Safeguarding and Protecting Children, other titles include:

 

Appointed First Aid

Fundamentals of Movement

Coaching Disabled Performers

Multiskills

Role of the Volunteer Coordinator

 

However, this list is not complete, as changes are continually made as a direct result from the feedback we receive into the SASSOT office.

 

To allow for the opportunity for all to access the workshops, various locations have been booked all around the County.  We do hope that it continues to be an asset to your continuing professional development within the world of sport.

As always we do advise that as some sports have more stringent First Aid requirements for Clubmark and coaching purposes, all delegates should check with their NGB before enrolling on these workshops in order to avoid disappointment after the event.  

 

Can I please ask that you check the website on a regular basis as updates are always being made to dates and venues.

Please be advised that in cases of cancellations, a 5 working day notice period is required.  Delegates can opt to change to another workshop or alternatively send another representative.

If you find that you cannot attend the workshops we have planned, contact Kam and she may be able to help you find alternatives.

 

 

Kam Webster
Education and Training Officer
Tel: 01785 619 695
Email: kwebster@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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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

 

 

 

 

 

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on Trent have recently developed their own club accreditation award called SASSOT QualityMark, for high quality sports clubs with junior sections.

 

  

 

 

One of the main aims of Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent�s (SASSOT) Club Support Plan, is to increase the number of high quality accredited clubs throughout the sub-region and develop a more welcoming and accessible modern sports club network which will drive up participation, improve satisfaction and retention and allow those with talent to fully develop.

 

 

SASSOT recognises and values the commitment made by sports clubs to develop high quality, welcoming environments for young participants. The development of clubs that encourage young people to take-up sport, improve their talents, possibly play a leadership role and give them the option to initiate and maintain life-long participation in sport is an essential part of our work to support the sporting infrastructure throughout Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

 

 

SASSOT have recently developed a club accreditation award called QualityMark, this is for sports clubs throughout the county that are not eligible to apply for their National Governing Body (NGB) or County Sports Partnership Clubmark accreditation. 

SASSOT QualityMark

Arm Wrestling	Karate
Baton Twirling	Kickboxing
Australian Rules Football	Martial Arts
Billiards	Petanque
Camogie	Quoits
Darts	Skateboarding
Dodgeball	Skipping
Floorball	Snooker
Gaelic Football	Stoolball
Hurling	Ultimate (Frisbee)
Kabaddi	Unihoc

 

 

The SASSOT QualityMark criteria will be aligned with the Clubmark standards in order to ensure that the schemes complement each other and sports clubs that achieve this award will receive similar benefits as associated with Clubmark.

 

Clubmark is built around a set of core criteria which ensure that accredited clubs operate to a set of consistent, accepted and adopted minimum operating standards. It is endorsed by all the main sporting, youth and education agencies involved in delivery of sporting opportunity for young people as the accreditation scheme for clubs with quality assured junior sections.

 

Clubmark is a cross-sport quality accreditation for clubs with junior sections and is awarded to clubs that comply with minimum operating standards in four areas:

• The Playing Programme
• Safeguarding and Protecting Children
• Sports Equity and Ethics
• Club Management

 

Clubs working towards accreditation can receive support and advice from SASSOT and other partners such as Local Authorities and School Sport Partnerships. Circumstances will vary between clubs and sports but the process of accreditation is the same. There is only one set of paperwork to complete and in general most clubs are well on the way to achieving accreditation without realising it.

 

The Benefits

SASSOT QualityMark gives sports clubs of all types structure and direction. Clubs awarded with the QualityMark will see many tangible benefits as Clubmark clubs do, such as: 

• Club development -The foundation for any club is its youth structure. By encouraging and attracting young members, it is building a strong future.
• Increased membership - Addressing issues like equity and child protection gives parents confidence when choosing a club for their children.
• Developing coaches and volunteers - As part of Clubmark, clubs receive help in developing the skills of those involved in their organisation.
• Raised profile - Once Clubmark accredited, clubs will be listed on a county database and in other directories, to help them attract new members and grow.

 

If you are interested in working towards the SASSOT QualityMark and the sports club;

• comes from one of the sports listed in the above table and,
• has a junior section

then please contact me for further information to begin the accreditation process.

 

Chris Turner

Club Development Manager
T: 01785 619681
E: cturner@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

Sporting young people from across Staffordshire received an award in recognition of their exceptional talent recently.

 

A special ceremony took place at County Buildings in Stafford on Friday 3 April where 36 young athletes were presented with a cheque, as part of Staffordshire County Council’s Young People’s Sports Grant Scheme.

 

Each year the scheme provides funding to support young sportspeople who either live or go to school in Staffordshire and have proven to excel in their field.  The money awarded is used to support the cost of their training and participation in competitions, including expenses such as travel, equipment and accommodation.

 

This year the successful applicants’ sporting talents range from athletics, swimming and cycling to canoe slalom and volleyball.

 

To view a list of all the awarded individuals please click here.

 

Young sports people from Newcastle under Lyme who were among 36 others from across Staffordshire who were awarded a Staffordshire County Council Sports Grant

 

Each of the young sportspeople being awarded has one thing in common, an ambition to represent their country at a senior level and compete at future Olympic Games with some targeting London 2012.  Some of the young people who were awarded have also played a key part recently to launch the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Legacy Action Plan for the 2012 Games which provides a framework which can be used to engage people within Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

 

Young sports people from Cannock who were among 36 others from across Staffordshire who were awarded a Staffordshire County Council Sports Grant 

 

At the awards ceremony, the young people heard first hand what it is like to represent your country, as they listened to Charlotte Craddock, the youngest member of the Team GB Hockey squad talk about her Beijing Olympic experience.  Charlotte, aged 18 from Wolverhampton has played club hockey for Cannock from the age of 8 and played for Staffordshire under 12s when she was 10.  She has since played for various Staffordshire aged teams winning many tournaments. 

 

Young sports people from Staffordshire pictured at the Sports Grant Awards ceremony

  

County Councillor Robert Simpson, Deputy Leader said: “I am very pleased to be able to recognise and support so much sporting talent in the county.  While we encourage every young person to participate in sport as part of a healthy lifestyle, it is a real privilege to be able to support our elite competitors.  I hope very much to see Staffordshire represented in London in four years time.”

 

For more information surrounding this event please contact Steph Newport at steph.newport@staffordshire.gov.uk

 

 

Cultural and creative practitioners across the West Midlands are being urged to ‘Open Up’ and ‘Step Up’ this summer as part of the second nationwide London 2012 Open Weekend.

 

The Open Weekend, which will mark exactly three years until the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, will see hundreds of events taking place right across the UK between 24 and 26 July 2009.

 

Last year saw the first Open Weekend with the West Midlands getting right behind the celebrations with some 45 events taking place across the region the 26-28 September 2008. Events ranged from places of interest and natural habitats opening up to the public for the first time, to outdoor theatre performances, live music, a stunt bicycle display, story-telling and dance events on a mass scale.

 

This year, the themes will be ‘Open Up’ and ‘Step Up’ and we’re now looking for cultural events that will form part of the celebrations. We’re interested in any creative and cultural events that could be part of that weekend and particularly any which include an element of dance participation.

 

Information on how to apply to be part of Open Weekend 2009 will be available soon and there will be a further call for sporting and environmental events at a later date. But Paul Kaynes, the West Midlands Creative Programmer for London 2012, would like to hear from cultural organisations, partnerships or individuals with any ideas now.

 

If you’re already planning an event for that weekend – or have an idea that could be part of the fun – why not send a brief email to: culturalolympiadwm@artscouncil.org.uk and be part of the UK’s biggest celebration of cultural, environmental and sporting activity!

 

We look forward to hearing from you.

  

Chris Kirkland

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Co-ordinator for the 2012 Games

Staffordshire County Council

Culture and Libraries

Tipping Street

Stafford

ST16 2DH

 

Direct Line: 01785 854595
Mobile: 07773 791118
Fax: 01785 278319

 

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Chris Kirkland is running the London Marathon on 26 April 2009. In doing so he is hoping to raise lots of money for both Special Olympics Stafford and Special Olympics North Staffordshire. If you would like to sponsor him please send him your name, address and amount you wish to sponsor.

 

E: chris.kirkland@staffordshire.gov.uk

 

 

 

English World Cup referee Graham Poll has thrown his support behind this summer’s return of the Shenstone Fun Run by making a kind donation and also offering to promote the event and help raise the profile.

 

 

 

 

Graham said “To be associated with such an event is a privilege, I was very lucky to of have had ability and make it to the pinnacle of my profession, but all the hard work and dedication of organising committees to put on an event of this stature and the tireless work the charities put in to improve people's lives, make me feel very humble and to assist in anyway is a joy.”

 

Graham was contacted by organising chairman Graham Jones and had no hesitation in saying: “Yes please, tell me how”. He added: “I am aware of the Crimson Foundation in the Midlands who have done endless amounts of work for good causes and when I heard that they were one of the beneficiaries of this event, and coupled with the fact of the charities involved, I couldn’t say no, it was an instant decision and such an honour to be asked.”

 

Graham Jones organising chairman said: “To have the assistance of such a well known person as Graham Poll to help raise the profile of the event is invaluable. I know from local opinion that the Shenstone community will never forget Mr Poll for all the right reasons, he is a very kind and generous man.”

 

The return of the Shenstone Fun run is due to take place on Sunday June 14^th 2009 at 11am in the scenic village near Lichfield, West Midlands. 

 

For more information contact:

Graham Jones
M: 07974 459469 

 

 

South Stoke School Sport Partnership

Berry Hill High School & Sports College

 

  Blurton High School, Edensor High School, Longton High School, Mitchell High School, Sandon High School, St Joseph’s College, St Thomas More Catholic College, Trentham High School

 

 

 

 

KS1 Fitzy Scheme 

 

The Fitzy scheme is designed to encourage KS1 children to adopt a healthy lifestyle by promoting both healthy eating and participation in physical activity. The Fitzy character is used to influence the behaviour of the children and it is important that the children associate the concept of a healthy lifestyle with Fitzy and that his brand image is strong.

 

The Fitzy programme is not a scheme of work – materials have been produced that can be used in PE lessons and for use in Out of School Hours Learning (OSHL) to develop fundamental motor skills, but equally can be used to support cross curricular work and to support home based activity.

 

The materials and resources have been developed over the last four years and the pilot school, Alexandra Infants’ School in Stoke-on-Trent, has been instrumental in the shaping and development of the scheme. Mrs Christine Winkle (PLT) has been the lead deliverer and the scheme is now fully embedded in the school.

 

At the outset the scheme was purely a South Stoke School Sport Partnership initiative but eighteen months ago the City Catering Department became involved. Fitzy now has five food friends (representing the five food groups) and they will appear on the new crockery that is being launched in Stoke Schools this month. Whenever a school has a Fitzy launch the children take part in physical activity and healthy eating workshops and by using the same character it provides a more consistent message to the children about healthy lifestyles.

 

More recently the Leisure Services Department adopted the Fitzy character as their mascot. They will use the Fitzy image to signpost relevant sessions that will suit families with KS1 children within their programming in local leisure facilities. They have also used the Fitzy mascot to promote the Energise Plus Scheme.

 

In addition a project is currently being developed with the Stoke-on-Trent PCT to produce activity bags that will contain some sports equipment, two physical activity cards, a recipe card and information about local amenities. Plus there will be a soft toy fox and a record book for the children to document what they did. The activity bags will be piloted in a number of schools, libraries and children centres. This multi-agency collaboration enables a more coordinated approach, more efficient use of resources and more effective targeting of schools and community areas; and to reiterate, the message about healthy lifestyles is consistent and is being continually reinforced.

 

An evaluation of the scheme at Alexandra Infants’ School in South Stoke, suggests that the brand recognition and brand image for Fitzy is very strong. More importantly the children clearly associate Fitzy with a healthy lifestyle and are very secure in their knowledge about what they have to do in order to be healthy. The school offers 2 hours of PE within the curriculum, attendance at after school clubs is extremely high, there are Y2 Fitzy Playground Leaders and the school participates fully in all KS1 events run by the Partnership. Since the launch the children have also consumed more fruit and vegetables at lunch time and have been putting pressure on parents to make sure that they get their five a day.

 

If you would like to know more about the Fitzy scheme please contact:

Helen Moors
School Sport Coordinator
South Stoke School Sport Partnership
E: helenmoors@aol.com

 

 

 

Girls from six high schools in the North of Stoke on Trent have been participating in regular training sessions and tournaments over the past 10 weeks aimed at increasing participation amongst semi-sporty young people.

 

The sessions were set up by volunteers Sarah Minshall and Kate Beer and run by coaches from Sport and Leisure Services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The sessions aimed at increasing confidence, skill and ability of the young people involved and proved successful with ten 5-a-side teams formed from 6 schools. 

  

The project has registered approximately 80 girls with 60 regularly participating in sessions and competitions.

 

The final tournament was held on the 1st April where the teams were split into two groups and competed in a Cup and a Plate competition; each team played four matches of 10 minutes and participated in a skills session. 

 

Thistley Hough - Cup Competition Winners

 

The Lord Mayor Derek Capey presented Thistley Hough High School’s Team 1 with the overall winner’s trophy and Brownhills High School with silver medals. The Plate Competition was won by Holden Lane High School with Haywood Team 1 runners up.  St Margaret Ward’s Dana Murphy was awarded with the Player of the Season Award for her continued effort and remarkable improvement in ability over the 10 week period. Kerona Meade from Haywood High School was presented with the Fair Play Award for her positive attitude and enthusiasm to training.

 

 

The Girls’ Football project will continue in these 6 high schools with a hope to repeat its success with girls from years 9 and 10 in the next few weeks. Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Sport and Leisure Department in association with the FA and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service have developed a Girls' Football Coaching Development Centre that kicked off on 8th April 09. 

 

The centre will provide the girls from the years 7 and 8 project the opportunity to continue playing football and will also be open to any girls in the city between the ages of 12- 16. The centre is aimed at semi-sporty girls who want to play for fun and will be run by qualified female coaches. The centre will help to develop skill and ability and also offer pathways for girls to join local football teams.

 

For more information on this particular project please contact Ruth Stainton on 01782 235001.

 

 

 

East Staffordshire Borough Council Sports Development Team held an inflatable fun day at Uttoxeter Leisure Centre. The fun day was made possible though funding provided by the Uttoxeter Community & Learning Partnership, to help provide extra holiday provision for those living in and around the Uttoxeter area.

 

 

 

Over 250 children attended throughout the day and took on the large inflatable challenge that lay ahead. All tackled the obstacle course, scaling the high wall, leaping through the holes and hurdling the rollers, while racing around the inflatables with many participating non-stop from 11:00am–3:00pm.

 

 

 

For those who wanted a less strenuous activity, parachute games and non-competitive games were played and fun was had by all.

 

 

For more information contact:

Emma Gilbert
Sports Development Officer
T: 01283 505915 

 

 

 

 

Staffordshire Star Georgia Elwiss has received a call up to the national squad of 18 for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in England this summer.

 

Georgia, who attends Wolverhampton Girls School, is the current Staffordshire Player of the Year and plays club cricket for Meir Heath Women’s side.

 

 

Georgia will also be one of the key players in the Staffordshire Squad that is chasing promotion this season in the Women’s County Championship.

 

Having this winter gained a place on the Derbyshire Academy, Georgia is now bearing the fruits of all the hard work and long nights spent practising and travelling. Georgia and other uncapped player Danielle Hazell join all rounder Rosalie Birch in being added to the 15 women on duty in Australia for England's recent world cup triumph. 

 

Georgia Elwiss

 

The World Twenty20 will be the first joint men's and women's competition.

 

The initial stages of the Women's World Twenty20 will be played at Taunton, before they come together for the semi-finals and final - the latter to be played at Lord's on 21 June.

 

"We have enjoyed all the accolades after winning the World Cup and it has been an exciting time for us all but now we are fully focussed on winning the ICC World Twenty20," said captain Charlotte Edwards.

 

"This tournament offers the greatest chance ever to promote women's cricket with the women's semi-finals and final on the same day, same ticket and in front of the same crowd as the men's matches," she added.

 

Edwards stressed the importance of consistent selection in England's success but said she hoped Birch, Elwiss and Hazell would "push the other girls for their spots".

 

She added: "Before the World Cup I'd have said our best chance this year was probably in the Twenty20. We've got a young side, a good fielding side and some hard hitters, so I think this is a tournament we'll do well in."

 

England squad: Caroline Atkins (Sussex), Rosalie Birch (Sussex), Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire), Holly Colvin (Sussex), Charlotte Edwards (capt, Kent), Georgia Elwiss (Staffordshire), Lydia Greenway (Kent), Lauren Griffiths (Cheshire), Isa Guha (Berkshire), Jenny Gunn (Middlesex), Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire), Laura Marsh (Sussex), Beth Morgan (Middlesex), Ebony Rainford-Brent (Surrey), Nicola Shaw (Surrey), Anya Shrubsole (Somerset), Claire Taylor (Berkshire), Sarah Taylor (wk, Sussex).

 

For more informaton contact:

Andy Grice
Funding and Marketing Director
Tel: 07831 158522
Email: andy.grice@ecb.co.uk

 

 

We're looking for young people to join the team and get involved in the game as rugby volunteers...Keen on Rugby?

 

Enjoy playing, coaching and passing on new skills to young people? Are between the ages 16-25?

 

Do you fancy being part of a National project within Rugby?

 

Are you interested in a career in sports development or the sports industry? How would like to enhance your CV with some fantastic sports/ community development experience all within rugby?

 

Do you fancy getting some free stash, being reimbursed for your expenses and attending a variety of training events?

 

If so read on...!

 

vRugby is a National initiative launched by the Rugby Football Union aiming to involve over 3000 young people (16-25) in volunteering opportunities across the country. We are looking to recruit 30 County Activators across the country to manage county-wide projects and work with other young people in exciting and diverse rugby-based volunteering projects, and therefore we are looking for someone to co-ordinate projects in Staffordshire.

 

If you would like to find out more or to apply please see the links below on vRugby, the role and the vRugby County Activator application form.

Information sheet
Promotional flyer
Application form

 

For further details please contact Alex Thompson, Volunteer Executive-Midlands at the RFU Tel: 07894489756 or Email: alexthompson@rfu.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is launching a series of cycling courses to help people get on their bikes in the city. The brand new initiative, designed at getting more people cycling safely, will see 25 free courses in leisure centres across Stoke-on-Trent in the coming months. The scheme follows Stoke-on-Trent being awarded Cycling City Status by Cycle England.

 

 

 

Councillor Debra Gratton, Stoke-on-Trent City Council portfolio holder for sports and leisure, said: “We are very proud to have been awarded Cycling City Status. Cycling is not only a great way to get active and help the environment it is also a fantastic activity to share with friends and family. This initiative is just one of many measures we are introducing to encourage more people to cycle in our city. Whether you simply wish to learn how to ride a bike or require more advanced skills the courses are designed to help everyone."

 

The first of the Cycling with Confidence Camps was held over Easter and focused on family training as well as learning to ride. Other bespoke training camps planned throughout the year will include: 

• Cycling Confidence for Women
• ‘Bikeability’ Level 1 – children aged 7-9
• ‘Bikeability’ Level 2 – children aged 10-16
• Adult Cyclist Training
• Commuter Confidence  

Training leaflets can be obtained from leisure centres, libraries, cycle dealers and the Tourism Information Centre from mid April.

 

For further information or to take part please book at the main reception at both Fenton Manor Sports on 01782 233222 or Dimensions leisure centre on 01782 233500.

 

 

 

 

Sport has always been important to the people of Stoke-on-Trent but the numbers taking part in sport in the city is low compared to other areas. A recent survey indicated that people in Stoke-on-Trent are amongst the least active in England with only 15% of adults doing the recommended amount of sport and physical activity.

 

 

The primary objective of the green paper is to help everyone to take part in sport and physical activity so they can enjoy being healthier. We want to make Stoke-on-Trent a ‘City of Sport’.  This green paper outlines plans to develop sport and physical activity up to 2016 to:

• get 30% of local people aged 16 or over to be physically active for at least 30
  minutes five times a week by 2012;
• get 22% of local people aged 16 or over taking part in sport and active
  recreation for at least 30 minutes, three times a week by 2012; and
• get young people to take part in sport and physical activity to reduce the
  numbers of children who are obese.

To view the green papers please select a link below:

Green Paper for Sport aimed at young people

Green Paper for Sport

 

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Sporting Champion Jenny Copnall met Year 6, 7, 8 children at Cardinal Griffin and inspired the students to take up cycling.  The visit was organised through Cannock and Rugeley School Sport Partnership and funded by Sport England as part of their Sporting Champions initiative.

 

 

Jenny Copnall was greeted by over 50 children from Cardinal Griffin's primary feeder schools. She gave an inspiring presentation, showed the children her GB Kit, medals, and talked about her achievements. She then put on her kit, took to her mountain bike and demonstrated her mountain bike skills outside.

 

 Jenny Copnall carrying out a demonstration at Cardinal Griffin

 

Also present for the afternoon were the British Cycling “Go Ride” Coaches and Phil Kelly from Friary Leisure Centre with a Watt Bike demonstration, for whom we are very grateful for their generous donation of time and energy.

 

The Watt Bikes added an exciting dimension to indoor cycling both as individual riders and teams. The computer software, live screen and statistics enhanced the experience.

 

Outside the students gained confidence on the bikes following coaching skills sessions and then had the opportunity to practise their skills on the Mountain Bike courses which were set up on the school grounds. A race completed the afternoon and the progress and enthusiasm was amazing.

 

Students practising their mountain bike skills on the course set up on the school grounds

 

Sporting Champion Jenny Copnall said;-

“The children from the primary schools, St. Josephs Hednesford, St. Josephs Rugeley, St. Thomas More Great Wyrley and St. Mary’s Cannock have been fantastic and we have had a lot of fun. They really showed progress through the course of the workshops and skills sessions. I hope that they continue with their cycling and some might even become our future Olympic champions. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a Sporting Champion at Cardinal Griffin and am honoured to have had the opportunity to reach so many young people to share my positive experiences in sport. Sport is not just about winning; it can improve health, social skills and even educational results.”

 

We are also grateful that the support and Cycling opportunities don’t stop here. There will be a return visit later this month by Jenny, the British Cycling “Go Ride” Coaches and the Watt Bikes.

 

Courtesy of “Sport Unlimited funding” students can than now access the after school Cycle Club on Wednesdays at Cardinal Griffin run by Mr. Shenton Cycle Club Leader and Coach.

 

For more information please contact:

Rose Brown
School Sport Co-ordinator
Cannock and Rugeley School Sport Partnership
Cardinal Griffin Catholic High School and
Blake Valley Technology College
 
Mobile: 07752522339
Website: www.cannockrugeleyssp.net

 

On Saturday 18^th April, North Staffordshire Special Olympics held its fourth fund raising event to send a very strong team of 80 athletes to the games to compete in their chosen sport of football, swimming, athletics, basketball, kayaking or badminton.

 

The evening saw a live performance from Matt Shaw aka Meat Loaf. Matt won the Stars in Your Eyes Final in 2000. An auction and a raffle were held with some excellent prizes donated by a number of businesses.

 

We had some fantastic VIPs attend the evening to help promote North Staffordshire Special Olympics and the games such as Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Stoke -on-Trent Councillor Jean Bowers, The High Sherriff of Staffordshire Katie Evans and Rob Flello local Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South.

 

The event raised a fantastic £880 which will help the team from North Staffordshire Special Olympics attend the Special Olympics National Summer Games, 25-31 July 09, in Leicester .

 

For more information contact:

Matthew Fry, Fundraiser via Naomi Bird on 01785 619585 or nbird@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The latest from the pitch

 

Richard Lewis joins Sport England as their new Chair - see his message to you below.

 

Dear Partner   I wanted to introduce myself to you as the new Chair of Sport England.   I was delighted to accept this role as we enter what has been described as a golden era for sport in this country.

Having been involved in sport all my life, I know the considerable benefits it can bring to individuals, and to society as a whole. Sport England is an organisation which I have come to know well over a number of years, through a number of roles, and I am proud to lead it at such a significant time.

 

We have been given a clear direction by the Government - to create a world-leading community sport system. In outcome terms, that means getting people to play more sport, ensuring that their sporting experience is a satisfying one and giving those with talent the chance to excel through developed systems and pathways. The specific targets we have attached to those outcomes are challenging - but deliverable.

 

However, I am well aware that much will depend upon how successful we are in building and maintaining strong and efficient partnerships. We will work with organisations across the sporting spectrum - our landscape partners, national governing bodies, national partners, local authorities, county sports partnerships - I could go on.

 

I want us to add value to the work you do, in the same way that you will be contributing to our outcomes. That means we need to ensure that we bring our expertise, experience and insight to the table, and use our ability to look across the spectrum of community sport to help you identify where opportunities and challenges may lie.

 

We are well established as a distributor of money, but we now need to establish ourselves as an investor. We must be sure that our money is not only used wisely, but that it is also used effectively. We are looking for value for money, and must be sure that everything we back supports our outcomes. We also want to prioritise interventions which encourage participation amongst women and girls, minority groups and in areas which face significant barriers to participation.

 

I also believe that Sport England is able to help drive people towards participating in sport. We can, and will, work with organisations to create campaigns that give a higher profile to sports participation, and I look forward to talking about some of the opportunities in the coming months.

 

We are committed to getting people to play more sport - and creating the infrastructure for that world-leading community sport system as part of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy. In delivering that we will be breaking the mould, and achieving something no other host nation has ever done. That's why now is the time for action.

 

I look forward to working with you.

 

Regards

 

Richard Lewis
Chair, Sport England

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Read on for more from the pitch

 

Backing sport in your community

Sport England launched its new Small Grants Programme and an enhanced version of the popular Sportsmatch scheme.

 

We look forward to receiving bids from a wide range of partners, enabling us to focus investment on grassroots projects that will deliver against our key outcomes - 'grow, sustain and excel'.

 

Click here to find out more about these funds, and three other new funding programmes which will open in the coming weeks.

 

Securing a better deal for sport

The role of Sport England in protecting playing fields has been expanded, as new figures demonstrate our success in safeguarding sports provision in local communities.

 

Our remit as a statutory planning consultee will cover mini-pitches, previously considered too small to qualify for protection.

 

Find out more here

 

 

If you would like copies of 'the latest from the pitch' sent to your email address please click here. her

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Lottery strengthens communities with new life for old village halls.

 

At a time of economic challenge English village life is being strengthened as the Big Lottery Fund today announces funding of over £4 million to regenerate and revitalise a range of facilities at the heart of communities throughout the West Midlands.  

 

 

From Birmingham to Worcestershire, 13 communities in the West Midlands have received grants the Big Lottery Fund’s Community Buildings programme to invest in a makeover of their village hall or community centre or to build a new one to order.

 

In Staffordshire, a unique partnership that demonstrates how diverse community organisations can work together has been formed to build the new Madeley Village Hall. The planned hall will replace the separate buildings now used as a village hall and scout hut. Its value to the community is made stronger with a link to a complex that will house a post office and the police, which will be funded separately. 

 

The new village hall is being developed by the residents of Madeley and neighbouring villages through a community-led partnership that includes Staffordshire County Council, Newcastle Borough Council, Madeley Parish Council and Housing 21. 

 

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk 

 

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone:  0845 6021 659

 

MEND Programme

 

The MEND Programme is a Fun, free of charge, community, family-based programme for children who are over their healthy weight aged between 7-13.

 

This programme places equal emphasis on (M)ind, (E)xercise and (N)utrition. It runs over two hour sessions, twice a week for 10 weeks. One parent or guardian must attend each session with the child. The programme assists participating families to make healthy changes to their daily lives with great results.

 

By following the MEND principles, participating children will become more healthy and move towards a healthy weight, while having lots of fun on the programme.

 

Time 4 Sport UK and Parkwood Community Leisure has joined forces with NHS North Staffordshire to deliver two MEND Programmes at:

 

Hempstalls Primary School, Newcastle ST5 9LH

Every Tuesday and Friday 6pm to 8pm

Starting from Tuesday 28th April 2009

Programme Leader: Wayne Glover, contact: 07707275409

 

Brough Park Leisure Centre, Leek ST13 6AT

Every Tuesday 6pm to 8pm and Thursday 5pm to 7pm

Starting on Tuesday 28th April 2009

Programme leader: Angela Sproson, contact: 01538 373603

 

Both the programmes have limited spaces. YOU MUST ENROL ON THE MEND PROGRAMME DIRECTLY BEFORE TURNING UP. To enrol on the programme contact MEND directly on 0870 609 1405 or visit www.mendprogramme.org. Alternatively contact the relevant programme leader above. 

 

To view the promotional poster click here.
To view the promotional flyer click here.

 

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Sub-4 City Parks Grand Prix

 

The City Parks Grand Prix is a series of races held every summer in parks within the Stoke-on-Trent area.  Runners are being urged to lace up their trainers for a series of races around some of Stoke-on-Trent’s finest green spaces.

 

The City Parks Grand Prix 2009 will see hundreds of competitors working up a sweat in four city parks. The events, which are held every summer, form part of the city council’s drive to increase sport and physical activity.

 

Starting at Longton Park on May 12, the races vary from 5km for senior runners, 3km for under 17’s and 2km for under 15’s. The Grand Prix moves onto Tunstall Park on June 9, Fenton Park on July 14 and Hanley Park on August 18.  Races start at 6.30pm and are open to everyone. 

 

Participation in all four of the races guarantees a t-shirt at the end of the series. There is a comprehensive prize list thanks to the sponsorship from Sub-4 and ASICS.

 

Entry forms, details of entry fees and further information are available by phoning Ken Rushton on 01782 330853 or e-mailing suken@run222.freeserve.co.uk.

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Netball Taster Day

 

Sunday, May 10th 2009
10am - 2pm
Northwood Stadium, Keelings Rd
Cost £4 per player

 

Come join in with players at Harriers Netball Club. Harriers have organised the above to increase participation amongst girls age 11-15 in netball at Club level.

 

The taster session offers the chance to: 

• Learn new skills
• Play matches
• Make new friends
• Improve your game
• Attend future sessions

To register speak to your School PE teacher/Sports Coordinator or e-Mail harriers.netballclub@ntlworld.com

 

To view the promotional flyer please click here.

To view the application form please click here.

 

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London Marathon Sponsorship

 

Chris Kirkland is running the London Marathon on 26 April 2009. In doing so he is hoping to raise lots of money for both Special Olympics Stafford and Special Olympics North Staffordshire.

 

If you would like to sponsor him please send him your name, address and amount you wish to sponsor:

 

Chris Kirkland

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Co-ordinator for the 2012 Games

Staffordshire County Council

Culture and Libraries

Tipping Street

Stafford

ST16 2DH

 

Direct Line: 01785 854595
Mobile: 07773 791118
Fax: 01785 278319

 

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Surfs Up - StreetGames West Midlands Festival 2009

 

Surfs Up in Stoke this year for the StreetGames West Midlands Festival 2009. Why not come to the beach for the day in Stoke on the 8th August 2009 at Northwood Stadium. Competitions will be held in Football, Basketball, Athletics and StreetCheer, with many other exciting and fun activities including a Surf Simulator, Graffiti Art, DJ Workshops, Dance Mats and Beach Volley Ball.

 

If you are a StreetGames project and would like to know more information please contact Joanne Arnold by email on joanne.arnold@stoke.gov.uk

 

Transport to and from the event is available, please ask for more information. To view the event flyer please click here.

 

 

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Equality & human rights in sport and physical activity

 

Due to the huge demand for our Equality and Human Rights in Sport and Physical Activity Workshops which were run in 6 pilot regions in 2008, Sporting Equals are launching a second series of workshops in May/June 2009.

 

Who are they for? The workshops are for individuals and organisations working in the field of Sport and Physical Activity promotion, development, governance, coaching and management. 

  

How much will it cost? We have tried to keep costs down to a minimum and the fees charged are specified in the attached flier.

 

How to register? If you are interested in attending a Sporting Equals workshop in your area, please complete the attached booking form stating which region you are interested in. 

 

For more information please click here and on the links below.

Promotional flyer
Booking form

 

Demand for these workshops across regions is likely to be high and we therefore recommend you register early.

 

 

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Bookings Now Being Taken for Lifeguard Courses

 

Bookings are now being taken for four National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) courses being held this year.

 

Tunstall Pool is running NPLQ courses in June, July, September and December. The course is both theoretical and practical and includes first aid, water rescue techniques, health and safety and the principles of pool lifeguarding. People who successfully pass the course will be awarded the NPLQ qualification.

 

The courses in June, July and September are being held across three consecutive weekends, whilst the course in December is an intensive mid-week course.

 

All courses are £165.00 per person and will run 9am - 6pm approx. To be accepted onto the course you must be 16 years of age and a confident swimmer, able to swim 50 metres in less than 60 seconds.

 

For further details or to book onto the course contact Carl Ziemann on 01782 234437.

 

For more detailed information and to find out the dates click here.

 

 

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Exercise & Health

 

New FREE exercise classes start shortly across Stoke-on-Trent. Check out the timetable to find one suitable for you.

 

For more information contact:
Janet Henson
Workers' Educational Association (WEA)
T: 01782 831911