Further CIF Investment into CSP Region

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

 

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Regional Governing Bodies hit the jackpot with lottery funding

Just over �4million of lottery funding has been allocated to Governing Bodies in the West Midlands, via Sport England�s Club and Coach Programme.  The nationwide programme aims to target the introductory and developmental levels of the Player Pathway (FUNdamentals, Learn to Train and Train to Train), although up to 25% of the funding can be used for Talent Development (Train to Compete).

The funding will run for three years, with the bulk of the money used to employ coaches working at a regional or sub-regional level.  The majority of NGBs are hoping to get their coaches in post within the next six months.  Additionally, most of these posts will have a strong mentoring focus, in order to increase the number of qualified, appropriately skilled voluntary coaches in local clubs.

As an example of how NGBs are planning to use this funding, the Royal Yachting Association has identified that although most clubs are strong at teaching the basics of sailing and / or windsurfing, they may not be in a position to deliver race training, especially for inexperienced sailors.  Therefore the NGB intends to employ a Regional Racing Coach who will deliver race training within identified clubs, and also mentor coaches within these clubs to improve their race training knowledge.

Sport England West Midlands has allocated funding to 25 Governing Bodies, who now have to meet various award conditions to allow the release of money.  This includes developing a delivery plan, detailing how the programme will be rolled out in each CSP area and identifying the clubs that will benefit.  These plans will need to be signed off by each CSP before funding is released.  Therefore several �speed dating� sessions have taken place or will take place shortly to allow NGB officers to present their plans to the relevant CSP officers, and to allow CSPs to have input into how the programme will be rolled out locally.

Once these meetings have been completed, SASSOT will circulate a summary sheet to Local Authorities and School Sport Partnerships, detailing how each sport�s funding will impact on the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent area and listing identified clubs where applicable. 

In the meantime, for further information please contact:  Jane Kracke, Sports Manager, 01785 619187 or jkracke@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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NGBs Sign Up to Partnership Agreements

Four National Governing Bodies have signed up to Partnership Agreements with Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, and another five agreements are under development.  SASSOT aims to have agreements signed with at least twenty governing bodies by the autumn.

SASSOT has developed a �Menu of Services�, detailing all forms of support that can be offered to NGBs and their clubs, coaches and volunteers by the core team.  Mapped against each item is the commitment / information required from the NGB in return.  NGBs can then select all the services that they feel are relevant to their organisation, given their size and resources, and these form the basis of the Partnership Agreement.  The Agreement will also provide a framework for annual review meetings where SASSOT can measure the impact of the support offered.

So far Agreements have been signed with Football, Rugby, Tennis and Triathlon, with Badminton, Cricket, Golf, Squash and Swimming under development.  Meetings have been arranged with Hockey and Gymnastics.

For more information please contact Jane Kracke, Sports Manager, 01785 619187 or jkracke@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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Contracts extended for Sport-Specific Officers

SASSOT are pleased to announce that, following the end of Active Sports, we have been able to extend the contracts of our current Sport-Specific Officers.  The original Active Sports programme provided SASSOT with funding to employ Sport-Specific Officers in a variety of sports for a five-year period.  The last of this funding runs out shortly, but by working in partnership with the relevant National Governing Bodies we have been able to secure additional funding to extend all our current sport specific posts until at least December 2007, with some contracts running through to summer 2008. 

The remit of these Officers will remain similar to their role under Active Sports, with an emphasis on strategic support of the sport�s infrastructure (clubs, coaches, volunteers etc.).  This will hopefully ensure long-term sustainability of the good practice currently happening within each sport.

At present, SASSOT employs ex-Active Sports Development Officers in Athletics, Girls Football, Hockey and Swimming, and we also employ a Netball Development Officer on behalf of England Netball.  Through Active Sports we previously employed officers in Cricket and Rugby.  The Cricket Development Officer is now working directly for Staffordshire Cricket Board in a development role, but unfortunately funding for the Active Sports Rugby post ended in March.  However, the county�s Rugby Development Partnership have secured funding from various partners to deliver a girls� rugby programme, and they were also recently awarded Sport England Community Investment Funding to support the development of women�s rugby.  This will ensure that the good work begun under Active Sports is expanded to include women of all ages. 

SASSOT will continue to work with NGBs on an ongoing basis to try to secure further contract extensions, as we recognise the value of these posts to the county�s sporting organisations.  �Sport-Specific Officers are a valuable resource and one that we are keen to retain within our County Sports Partnership.  Having a county-level officer means that we can offer a much greater level of support to clubs, volunteers and coaches within that sport, and they also have the capacity to work with partner organisations on an ongoing basis�, said Jane Kracke, Sports Manager for SASSOT.

For further information please contact:  Jane Kracke, Sports Manager, 01785 619187 or jkracke@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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Regional Sports Board visit Staffordshire

Trentham Gardens, one of Staffordshire's premier tourist destinations, are set to welcome the Regional Sports Board for their next meeting on 11 September 2007.

To energize them for their afternoon's meeting the Board have been invited to take part in rowing activity on Trentham Lake, ably led by Darren Barton, ARA Community Coach.

The meeting is to be held within the Italian Gardens, where as well as their usual business agenda they will will hear from Director, Mark Thornewill, about what's been going on in the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent CSP.

Early evening will see the arrival of Executive Board Chairs and Vice-Chairs from across the region as they join Board members for a workshop.

The RSB's visit will culminate in Rauf Mirza, Chair of the West Midlands Regional Sports Board, presenting Equity and Diversity and Special Recognition Awards to recognise outstanding achievements by CSPs within the West Midlands for the period April 06 to March 07. 

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

 

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Equity Project Funding

There is still time to apply to the �Access Across Staffordshire� funding scheme.

The first round of applications closes on the 8^th October and the CSP has made �5,000 available for individual awards of up to �500 to support projects which enable widened access to sport for the county's under-represented groups including:

• Women and Girls
• Disabled People
• Black Minority Ethnic Communities
• Low Socio-Economic Groups

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.


Click here to read the Equality Standard For Sport Newsletter - August 2007 (29th Edition)

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CSP Job Secondment

The CSP is looking to appoint an Equity Implementation Officer to cover maternity leave. The role will be for one day per week, running from 19/9/07 to 16/5/08.  

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West Midlands Brokerage Service pilot

The workforce consultation, undertaken earlier this year, clearly identifies a need for improved access to education and training opportunities for both the paid and voluntary sport workforce in Staffordshire.

As a direct off shoot of this research and the creation of the Partnership Workforce Development Plan, SASSOT is in the process of piloting an Organisation Needs Analysis (ONA) tool linked to Learning & Skills Council (LSC) Train to Gain funding.

The pilot, that will involve working with the West Midlands Brokerage Service, will hopefully help Partner organisations, such as local authorities, identify specific training needs for their sports and leisure staff. Working through the Brokerage Service will also help to build links with local training providers and access subsidised training.

The pilot will initially be tested with Stafford Borough Council's Leisure Service and the SASSOT core team; subject to this being successful, we hope to roll this service out to other Local Authorities and NGBs.

For more information please contact:
Ben Hollands, Workforce Development Officer
Tel: 01785 619317
Email: bhollands@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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CSP Thanks Trentham Estate

The CSP recently presented a framed t-shirt and photo� montage from this year�s Special Schools Sports Festival to John Lowther, Operations Director of the Trentham Estate.

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

The memento was presented in grateful recognition of Trentham Estate�s sponsorship of the festival, which saw over 200 pupils from County�s Special Schools take part in a wide-range of sporting activities.

�We�re really grateful to the Trentham Estate for their kind sponsorship. The festival was a fantastic day and we hope that the participants continue to enjoy their sport and get involved with their local clubs� commented Jason Britton, SASSOT�s Business Development Manager seen presenting the T-shirt to Trentham Estate�s John Lowther.

For more information on the day click here.

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Sporting Champions - fantastic opportunity for a World-Class Athlete visit

 

Since April 2007, Adam Whitehead, James Hillier and Sara McGreavy, are just a few of the Sporting Champions who have visited Staffordshire. By joining in, engaging and enthusing young people at community-based events, these World-Class sporting heroes have promoted the benefits of sport and physical activity.

Funding secured by Sporting Champions, for the period April 07 to March 08, will allow us to apply for a national pot of around 200 visits. Requests for these visits are to be made via the County Sports Partnership and must demonstrate support to Sport England�s vision and Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent�s Delivery Plan through one or all of the following key themes:

1. Increasing participation in sport and physical activity in the community (preferably via a Community Sports Network programme or project for young people)
2. Equality and Diversity
3. Leadership and Volunteering

How to apply

Complete the attached form (click here to download) and return to Leigh Morton  lmorton@staffordbc.gov.uk . Your request will then be submitted to Sporting Champions who will then liaise with you direct regarding the outcome and visit arrangements.

So, have a think about your forthcoming events, and let�s try to get as many Champions to visit community-based activities from the 200 in the national pot up for grabs!  Please do not nominate schools or School Sports Partnerships, as these visits will be coordinated through the YST and SSP networks.

For more information on the above please contact Leigh Morton on (01785) 619349 or lmorton@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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Opportunity to join the SASSOT Coaches Database

In conjunction with NGB�s, Local Authorities and Education partners, Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are working towards the introduction of the Staffordshire Coach Database.  This will be open to all coaches, living or working in the Staffordshire area, who have met a set of minimum operating criteria.  We anticipate that this database will help to raise the profile and standards of coaching in this area.

Details of registered coaches will be held on an on-line database, which will be searchable by registered schools and Local Authority Sports Development Officers, to help them fill coaching vacancies within their organisations.  The list will not be a central employment system and coach details will be issued on the understanding that employers will still be responsible for following good employment practice when recruiting coaches from the list.

As well as the benefit of enhanced employment opportunities, registered Coaches will receive advice and improved access to training.  They will also qualify for a discount at events such as the Staffordshire Coaching Conference.

The database will "go live" in December 2007, however we would like to invite coaches to apply as soon as possible.

For more information please contact:

Ben Hollands
Tel: 01785 619317
Email: bhollands@staffordbc.gov.uk

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Upcoming Workshops

We are pleased to announce our new Coach and Club Education Programme for the period September 2007 to March 2008.

As well as regular workshops such as Safeguarding & Protecting Children, Equity in your Coaching, A Club for All and First Aid, we are introducing new workshops such Coach Development in Disadvantaged Communities.

Our workshops are organised in partnership with sports coach UK, runningsports and a number of First Aid organisers. We aim to offer a wide variety of workshops to help clubs, coaches and volunteers develop and keep up to date with topics such as child protection, disability, equity, mentoring, communication, funding and fitness.

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

For more information on the above please contact:

Elaine Loader 
Tel: 01785 619695
Email:  eloader@staffordbc.gov.uk

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Naomi�s Baby Arrives!

Congratulations to Naomi Bird and her husband Ryan on the birth of their baby son. Naomi, who is SASSOT�s Research and Marketing Officer, gave birth to Bronson Isaac on August 16th 2007, with baby weighing in at 8lb 14oz.

Best wishes to all !

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Sport England consultation re ‘shaping the future of sport’ - last few weeks to have your day

The deadline for responses is 10 September and you can respond either individually or by organisation. All responses will be considered as part of the process to prepare Sport England’s new framework for sport that will set the direction up to and beyond the 2012 Games. Sport England will then produce a strategy for the period 2008- 2011, and there will regional strategies developed in line with this to reflect regional issues.

If you have any queries regarding the consultation please email: shapingthefuture@sportengland.org

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Sport England West Midlands Conference
23 November at Dunchurch Park Hotel and Conference Centre.

Regional consultation day on refreshing the regional plan for sport for SEWM, RSB, CSPs, and all key partner agencies. More information will be circulated next month - a date to note in your diary please!

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Government’s 10 Year Youth Strategy published

Aiming high for young people: a ten year strategy for positive activities - click here to view the Government's strategy.

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British Youth Council Welcomes Government’s 10 Year Strategy

The British Youth Council (BYC) welcomed the launch of Aiming high for young people: a ten year strategy for positive activities, the government’s new ten year youth strategy which aims to transform opportunities for young people in England by improving facilities and services across the country.

BYC’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Jo Field said: "BYC is pleased that the youth offer recognises the challenges faced by young people today growing up in a culture where negative perceptions of youth are widespread.

"We are delighted that the ten year strategy references research evidence from our Respect? campaign and acknowledges that negative perceptions and frustration at feeling they are not listened to can often act as a barrier to young people’s participation in services."

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Government policy - information for all volunteer leads/SIS leads to note

Gordon Brown used his first major public speech as Prime Minister to commit £515m to a raft of measures designed to boost the third sector’s partnership with government and its ability to build a stronger civic society.

The PM committed funds totalling £515m over the next three years to a range of initiatives, voiced his support for the sector’s campaigning and community action role, and announced the creation of an annual global forum on social leadership.

The plans are part of the long-awaited Cabinet Office/Treasury review of the role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration, which sets out the government’s plans for working with the sector over the next ten years and followed its biggest ever consultation with the sector.

Included in the new pledges were:

£117m for youth volunteering, building on the work of youth volunteering charity v, to create a national youth community service for Britain

£85m for training and support for frontline groups, delivered through Capacity builders

A new £50m match fund to help local community foundations develop endowments to secure their grant-making, on top of the £80m small grants programme announced in the Budget.

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Liam Byrne, Minister for WM

Speech made in August - click here to view

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Jowell Praises Opportunty of Olympics

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell last week celebrated one year to the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing by pledging to learn from the Chinese experience. She hailed the Games as a unique challenge for both countries - but one offering unprecedented opportunities and a legacy for generations to come.

Following a visit to Beijing last September, Tessa Jowell said she was keen to visit China again later this year, to see progress first-hand and to share news of London's preparations for 2012. The visit last year included meetings with Liu Qi, President of the Beijing Organising Committee, and Deng Pufang, who chairs China's Disabled Persons Federation - as well as talks with government officials about the Cultural Olympiad and media freedom.

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New Plans for Cycling in London

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, announced that he has asked Transport for London to examine the feasibility of bicycle hire scheme to promoting cycling in London. The Mayor recently saw at first hand the successful 'Velib' - Freedom bike - hire scheme introduced by the Mayor of Paris, which has enjoyed great success since its launch a few weeks ago.

 

Transport for London have been asked to look at international best practice in promoting cycling, including hire schemes like that of Paris, with a view to introducing a scheme which meets the specific needs of London. Cycling groups and other stakeholders will be consulted on the options.

A London scheme would require the support of London Boroughs, as well as the Mayor, as most London roads are controlled by the boroughs.

The Paris scheme offers 10,000 bicycles sited at 750 dedicated hire-points every 300 metres around Paris, with plans for 20,000 bikes at 1,400 hire points by the end of the year. The bikes are available at any time of the day or night and cost about 70 pence to hire for half an hour. Theft is minimal because of the unique design of the bicycles, their highly secure parking facilities and because payment is via credit or debit card. If a bicycle is not returned the hirer is charged around £100. Click here for further information.

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Culture – seeking ambassadors

‘Culture West Midlands (CWM) - the body that represents the arts, sports, heritage, and tourism sectors in the West Midlands - is looking for leading lights from across the West Midlands to drive cultural growth and ensure that the region benefits from the London 2012 Olympic Games.’ Closing date: Friday 14 September 2007. Click here to read press release.

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ISPAL Culture Shock Seminar, 2 October 2007

Achieving community-wide impact with cultural services one-day seminar, 2 October 2007 at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry.I The ISPAL Culture Shock Seminar, a leading edge one-day national seminar being held on 2 October 2007 tackling the fundamental changes occurring in local government today including: that we hope may be of interest to you.

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RegenWM e-bulletin

August edition - click here to view.

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WM Public Health Talk

Extract from Issue 32 , July 207 - re Closing the Gap project - click here to view

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WMRO - tendering opportunity

The Skills Team of the West Midlands Regional Observatory would like to invite expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced organisations to undertake research on a project on Graduate Employment Research which is the examination of the issues affecting attraction, retention and employment of graduates in the West Midlands Region.

 

Please forward this information to anyone you think it may be of interest to. Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact Helena Duignan at helena.duignan@wmro.org

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Active People Survey

Small area estimate maps by LA - now on SE website -arranged alphabetically under each regional page. Click here to view.

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STRI - guidance notes relating to flooding

Guidelines for flooded turf - click here to view

Infection alert re flood waters - click here to view

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SE Equality Scheme Consultation

To view the draft SE equality scheme (click here) and action plan (click here). Please click here to submit your response. The closing date for comments is 10 October.

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Respect Athlete Mentoring Programme (RAMP), part of the Government’s RESPECT agenda

The scheme is a mentoring programme for local schools and community groups, utilising inspirational elite sports people as mentors. Supported by Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust, it aims to improve the lives of young people through sport in target neighbourhoods. Click here to read more.

In the WM - Birmingham and Sandwell are part of the programme.

Also to note that Nick Gillingham (swimmer), a former WM RSB member, is one of the athlete mentors.

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Big Lottery Fund awards news

Young people across the West Midlands will soon be getting physical with £835,560 awarded by the Big Lottery Fund to five school partnerships to provide out of hours sporting activities. The projects will particularly target young people that need extra encouragement to participate in sports, including those with special needs.

The funding comes from the Big Lottery Fund’s £74.2 million Out of School Hours Learning: School Sports Co-ordinators programme that helps to establish partnerships to offer extra curriculum sport and physical activities to improve health, motivate, build self-esteem and increase social skills of young people. Today’s funding package across England totals £4,898,171. Click here to read the press release which includes details on Chesterton Community Sports College, Robert Sutton Catholic Sports College and Rawlett Community Sports College.

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Awards for All - August latest announcements.

History of a Staffordshire town is captured on cloth for posterity and more - click here to view.

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Skillsactive Funding Newsletter

July 207 Issue- some very useful information on funding sources: click here to view

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CCPR

Euro update Aug 2007 - click here to view.

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CCPR CEOs e-Forum

This month’s newsletter features information on:

1. A new online leadership programme by NCVO offering practical support to help chairs and chief executives.
2. CCPR’s business support helpline offering advice on a range of issues including tax, payroll, employment and personnel.
3. An Equality and Diversity Forum focussing on the positive action in tackling disadvantage.

Please view - click here.

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Looking for a touch of sporting class - research article

Is it possible to determine people's place in society by the sports they choose to play and watch? Or are we becoming increasingly classless when it comes to competitive sport, exercise and cultural pursuits? The answer according to new research is complex, with sporting and cultural preferences partly dependent on class but also age and gender.

Pamela Readhead explains:
The games people play - football, darts, polo or golf - have traditionally been seen as a clue to much more than their level of physical fitness or courage. Some sports, like rowing, horse riding and lacrosse are immediately associated with privilege. Others, like bowls or greyhound racing, are not
Click here to read the full research article.

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2012 Roadshows in the West Midlands

Two dates:

15 August - at the Main Event, Rowley Park Stafford
26 August , at the UK School Games, Warwick University Campus

Click here to read the regional partners’ press release:

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2012 Roadshow - post event report

Please view the news report from the event on Sunday 26 August - click here. A big 'thank you' to all involved on the day !

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2012 Activity calendar

Latest edition - click here to view.

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Hydro Active Women’s Challenge - one in Birmingham on 16 September 2007

Whatever your age, fitness levels or running ability, signing up to take part in the Hydro Active Women’s Challenge is a great incentive to keep fit and feel healthier. There are no hard and fast rules, you can walk, jog or run so gather all your mums, sisters, daughters, aunties, nieces and girlfriends and sign up today! Imagine the feeling when you cross the finish line, you can feel great about what you have achieved for Breakthrough Breast Cancer - TOGETHER! This year the Hydro Active Women’s Challenge will take place on September 16th in London’s Hyde Park, Birmingham City Centre and Liverpool’s Sefton Park. Click here for more details.

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Baseball and Softball in the West Midlands

An update from the sport - click here to view.

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Midlands Women's and Girls Cricket Update - click here to view Issue 2 - July 07. 

Message from Sue Redfern re this newsletter : "To contribute to this newsletter please send through info to me when you can" Email : Sue.Redfern@ecb.co.uk

Women's Cricket in Staffordshire  - Summer 2007 newsletter. Click here to view.

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Tennis Foundation - new body

The new Tennis Foundation supports and promotes community tennis across Great Britain and is committed to bringing together all the various bodies and tennis charities into a single foundation.
Click here to read the full details.

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Judo - 2007 Fighting Films GB World Cup for Men, 22 & 23 September.

Press release extract:
‘British Judo has today confirmed that 30 countries will compete in the 2007 Fighting Films GB World Cup for Men, which will take place at the Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena on the 22 & 23 September.

Around 200 competitors will entertain the crowds over the two days at this British hosted Olympic qualifier, which is likely to be the last time that many of Britain’s Olympic stars compete on home soil before Beijing.’

Click here to read more.

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New Chair for Birmingham CSP

The new Chair for Birmingham Sport and Physical Activity Partnership has been confirmed as Councillor Ray Hassall.

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Job vacancy in Sport

PA-WM Co-ordinator: - closing date: 7 Sept

Click here to view the advert and here to view the job description.

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Job Vacancy - Regional Programme Director

‘Living Well in the West Midlands’ - closing date 21 September:

Click here to view the job advert

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Sport England has created a free, easy-to use Promoting Sport Toolkit designed to help clubs, sports development officers and volunteers promote their sport or activities.

The toolkit is designed to help anyone working in sport – paid or unpaid - produce high quality campaigns and marketing material such as posters, leaflets and flyers that can be used to promote sport.

The Toolkit includes:

• Over 650 community sport photos
  
• Guides on how to use different promotional techniques including direct mail, press, advertising, and events
  
• Advice on how to target specific audiences
  
• A calendar of sporting events and campaigns throughout the year

Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with 70% of users describing the Toolkit as good or great. In fact Magdalen Park Lawn Tennis Club in London, said:

"We think this toolkit will prove really useful. It will make it much easier for sports clubs like ours to promote themselves better and attract new members. The photography and how-to guides will help save time, money and effort - which is great!"

But we want to make it even better, so please get in touch with any suggestions, ideas or feedback you have.

The Promoting Sport Toolkit is a completely free resource. So all we are asking you to do is pass on information – and the web address where it can be accessed – to your network of Community Sport Networks, clubs, volunteers, sports development officers and anyone else who delivers sport in your area.

 

The Promoting Sport Toolkit is available online here. 

If you have any questions or suggestions for content you would like to add, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Jason Britton
Tel. 01785 619599
Email. jbritton@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

 

The London 2012 Roadshow rolled into Stafford this month, 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.

For more information contact:

Jason Britton
Tel: 01785 619599
Email: jbritton@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

Chase It Plus is a Cannock Chase Council run programme that looks to engage hard to reach young people through a range of physical and creative activities.

Working in partnership with the Beth Johnson Housing Association, young people from the Bevan Lee Estate were supported in putting forward a funding application to the Youth Opportunity Fund.

The bid was successful and funding received has been used to support a range of physical and creative activities, through the Summer holidays.

The Bevan Lee Estate sits within one of Cannock Chase Councils most deprived wards and has been subjected to a significant amount of anti-social behaviour.

Partnership involvement with the project i.e: Police, Council, Youth Service and Street Wardens has enabled us to raise young peoples perceptions and awareness of the work we do in the community.

For further information contact:            
Debbie Pearce (Community Recreation Officer)
Tel: 01543 425996  Mobile: 07973933698
Email: deborahpearce@cannockchasedc.gov.uk

 

 

 

On Thursday 16^th August 2007, Staffordshire FA brought the World Cup to the County by holding a one-day Mini World Cup Day at Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre to help raise awareness of the Women’s World Cup which kicks off in China in September, and to celebrate that England’s National Women’s team have qualified for the competition.

 Mini World Cup Day at Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre

As part of the FA’s World Cup Awareness Week, over 30 girls took part in the day which included fun games and coaching activities. The girls were then put into teams of 5 to play as part of a Mini World Cup festival. The girls chose which of the Countries they wanted to play as during the mini festival, with each of the Countries then playing 5-a-side matches against each other for the rest of the day.

The day was organised and supervised by Qualified FA Coaches, with all of the girls then being linked to their local FA Charter Standard Clubs.

Rachael Blunt, Staffordshire FA’s Girls and Women’s Football Coach who organised the day said ‘The Mini World Cup Day was one of the many activities which we organised to take place throughout the Summer to support the England Team and raise awareness of the World Cup in September. It was a chance for girls from across the County to come along, have some fun and play football, as well as learning more about the World Cup and the Countries who are taking part.

All of the girls who attended received World Cup goodies and certificates for attending. The girls also had the opportunity to sign one of the England flags which will be sent out to China to the England Team to show them the support they are receiving from back home. The flag will be going all around the County to various events for people to sign and leave their good luck messages for the team.

The flag (pictured left with Stoke City's Peter Sweeney and Andy Wilkinson)  has also been signed by the First Team squads from Stoke City FC and Port Vale FC. Burton Albion FC and Stafford Rangers FC First Team Squads have also to put their good luck messages on the flag.

 

Nigel Clough and the Burton Albion Squad sign the England flag

 

Phil Robinson and the Stafford Rangers Squad with the England flag

Staffordshire FA will also be holding two festivals prior to and during the World Cup, one for Primary Schools in the County and one for our Clubs.

For further information on Girls and Women’s Football in Staffordshire, please contact Kevin Staples on 01785 256994 or kevin.staples@staffordshirefa.com

 

 

The Female Futsal league, which ran for four weeks, took place at Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre and offered the opportunity for three local Women’s teams to participate. FC Reedswood, Stafford Town Ladies FC and Wyrley Ladies FC all took part and played against each other in a round robin style format each week.

Three teams participate in the Women's Futsal League,
shown above, with the signed England flag

Futsal is new to the County, but The FA have been working to introduce the game over the last few years.

Futsal is similar to the 5-a-side format which has been played for many years, but has a few differences designed to encourage the development of a players skill and ability. A few of the different rules include ‘kick-ins’ instead of throw-ins, 5 foul limits, a smaller heavier ball than usual, substitution zones and different Hockey style goals. In Futsal, four referees are also used to officiate each game.

To introduce the game to the teams taking part in the league, Staffordshire FA held an introduction session prior to the league starting to show the teams how the game is played and introduce the rules to the teams.

For the following 3 weeks, the teams attended every Monday evening to play against each other, giving the teams the opportunity to play Futsal, develop their skills and also proved to be useful for helping the players with their pre-season fitness in the preparation for the upcoming season.

 

The success of this league will now lead onto further Futsal opportunities in the future.

Each year, the FA hold the annual FA Futsal Cup at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. Hopefully next year, Staffordshire will be able to put forward a Futsal team to represent the County at the event after holding leagues and competitions such as this in the County.

For further information with regards to the Futsal League, or for information with regards to Girls and Women’s Football in Staffordshire, please contact Kevin Staples, Football Development Officer (Girls and Womens) on 01785 256994 or kevin.staples@staffordshirefa.com

 

Grass roots sport in Longton and the surrounding areas in Stoke-on-Trent received a boost following a £164,462 award to Longton Harriers Football Club by the Football Foundation, the UK's largest sports charity.

The funding will enable the club to move to a new site where Longton Harriers FC can provide football for all age groups, gender and ethnic background in a safe environment with qualified coaches.  The proposed changing facilities will provide added protection to the welfare of the participants and will allow Longton Harriers F.C. to provide an exit route into senior football, whilst still providing opportunities for people of all abilities to be involved in our National Game.

The Football Foundation is dedicated to revitalising the grass roots of the game, constructing modern football facilities, developing football as a force for social cohesion and as a vehicle for education in communities throughout the country. Funded by the Premier League, The Football Association, Sport England and the Government, the Football Foundation is the nation’s largest sports charity with a £45m budget going straight into the heart of football.

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation said:

“We warmly congratulate Longton Harriers and the Staffordshire FA for their hard work and dedication in securing this award.

“Sport is playing a central role in helping people to stay fit, strengthen communities and promote responsibility amongst young people. I am delighted that Football Foundation investment is opening up access to sport in Stoke-on-Trent and encourage other organisations in the region to apply to us.”

Giles Pattison Vice Chairperson at Longton Harriers Football Club, said:

“The support of the Football Foundation in conjunction with Longton Rugby Football Club has secured the long term future of Longton Harriers FC. This will allow us to work closely with Staffordshire FA in developing grass roots football in the local area and providing people with in the local area a safe environment to enjoy football.

“Without the grant from the Football Foundation and the partnership with Longton Rugby Football Club, Longton Harriers FC would have remained a football club playing at various locations over Stoke-on-Trent with minimal facilities and unable to fulfil its full potential.”

For more information contact:

Andy Weston
Tel: 01785 256994
Email: andy.weston@staffordshirefa.com

 

 

British Tennis has been working hard to deliver its relatively new Blueprint and measures of success (number of players in top 100 in the world, number of 12-18 year olds on track for top 100 and number of juniors regularly competing).

Behind the scenes The Lawn Tennis Association has also been developing new ways of communicating, both internally and externally, using the latest technology.

In August ‘Inside British Tennis’ was launched providing coaching tips from Brad Gilbert, the latest thinking on talent development and an explanation of the national competition framework. Log on now to www.insidebritishtennis.net to keep right up to date with these great web-casts!’

For more information contact:

Jeremy Lemarchand
Club Development Officer

Tel: 01785 220772
Mob: 07958 233539
Email: jeremy.lemarchand@Lta.org.uk