Executive Board Meeting

At the Executive Board meeting held on Wednesday 30^th January, Board members considered a wide range of reports including approving the Delivery Plan and budget for 2008/09.

 

Board members were pleased with the progress being made in delivering the key tasks within the current Delivery Plan.

 

Progress on the School to Club Links programme, which received a �50,000 boost from the Partnership in April 2007, was also reported. This has proved to be a tremendous success, with 48 new school to club link programmes being formed and 628 new pupils joining community clubs. Congratulations to everybody involved in this project for your achievement to-date.

 

To read the reports - click here. 

 

For more information contact:

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

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Sport England Review

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent were pleased to be consulted on the development of Sport England's strategy for 2008-2011. Submissions have been compiled and assessed and fed into the Strategy development process. 
 

Sport England envisages a further consultation phase with key stakeholders, focused around the emerging picture.

For more information contact:

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

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New National Initiatives

There are a number of major national initiatives being launched in the near future which will provide added impetus in terms of developing additional opportunities for young people to participate in sport, PE and active recreation. These include: 

1. Club and Coach Fund
2. Playground to Podium
3. Five Hour Offer
4. Competition Managers

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent will work with Partners on these exciting new initiatives to ensure that young people across Staffordshire gain maximum advantage from these schemes.

To read details on the initiatives click here.

 

For more information please contact:

Jane Kracke
Sports Manager
Tel: 01785 619187 
Email: jkracke@staffordbc.gov.uk

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Executive Board Champion Focus

This month we focus on Duncan Mather, SASSOT�s Equity Champion.

Duncan works for a firm called Anthony Collins Solicitors in central Birmingham, having come to law as a second career. He originally trained and worked as an engineer in the offshore oil & gas business, working both here and abroad. Because of this foundation he now works chiefly on construction legal matters, setting up agreements and dealing with disputes.

 

Outside of work he actively encourages his children (11 and 13) to be involved in sports. Duncan�s son enjoyed swimming with his local club in Cheadle for some time, so Duncan naturally became involved from the pool-side. Ultimately this led to a spell as Secretary and organising the club's very successful application for Clubmark and Swim21 accreditation in both Teaching and Skill Development. Both children are still active with Cricket, Netball, Hockey, Trampolining and Kick-Boxing, accessed through a combination of school (netball & hockey) and club or leisure centre provisions. Duncan says that he is enormously grateful to those many individuals who volunteer their own time, effort and sometimes resources to make these opportunities possible, often with little support or guidance. This is where he believes the CSP is able to apply itself to be highly effective, and why he volunteered to contribute himself.

 

1. Sports volunteers play a massively important role in the development of sport. As a volunteer yourself, what do you think the CSP can do to raise the number of volunteers and improve their standards of delivery in the sub-region?

 

I see the CSP as being well placed to be pro-active at a grass-roots level and facilitating at the government or sport funding level. To me it ought to be not only the lubricant which removes the friction to make things happen, but should actively bring individuals and groups together like an electric wire between a socket and the kettle (if you get the analogy).

 

The CSP can raise standards through informing the true deliverers of the support available to them, often from a sport's national governing body, but also from their local authority. The CSP can then go that extra mile - as I believe we should all do - by making it happen. The job doesn't finish with recognising the individuals or their needs; removing the bureaucracy or making it transparent is one of the best ways the CSP help.

 

2. As the Executive Board's Equity Champion, what role does the CSP have in promoting equity in sport and what more can it do either strategically, operationally or both?

 

Equity is something you do. You "do" by doing equally. Policies and action plans have their purpose, but it's how people behave that matters. I am not an advocate of positive discrimination, but it is important to make sure everyone has access to opportunities, facilities and resources.

 

This is why it is important that the CSP, acting from its grass-roots, is absolutely clear that inclusiveness is at the core of how we work. Strategically the CSP does more than is required, and operationally assists through promoting events and encouraging participation. So long as the CSP is pro-active in raising the awareness of equity with clubs and its partners, it will help improve the enjoyment of sport by all.

 

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

 

On the principle that "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink", I don't see facilities as the biggest need, though they are certainly still required on a more widely available basis than exists at present.

 

I think my wish would be for a behavioural change. If everyone, from young to old, from school to retirement home, from church to mosque, from office to factory, was REQUIRED to undertake some form of active movement or sport for a number of HOURS every week, we'd encourage more participation, less reluctance, better long term health and greater individual well-being. It doesn't have to be sport, but it would have to be dynamic, appropriate to each individual's capabilities and at least a little challenging.

 

I know that to say it ought to be "required" sounds rather Big-Brother-ish, but there are many whose physical activity level is very low and who find all manner of excuses for doing nothing - they will only participate if forced (not merely encouraged) to do so. How do I know this? Well because to my continuing shame, I'm one of them!

 

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

 

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

Next month we will be featuring Andy Weston , SASSOT's Safeguarding Children and Young People Champion. If you would like to ask Andy a question contact Jason Britton by 20 March on 01785 619599 or email jbritton@staffordbc.gov.uk

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Equity

Click here to read the February's edition of the Equality Standard for Sport newsletter.

Click here to read Sporting Equals funding newsletter for March 2008.

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Partner Satisfaction Survey      

Thanks to all those who took the time to complete SASSOT�s Partnership Satisfaction Survey. Forty-one responses were received from representatives from our wide range of partners.

 

The survey has now been closed off and is being analysed before a summary report is submitted to the Executive Board.

 

The results will then be made public along with any clear action plans for improvement as the CSP works towards continuous improvement and fulfilling our commitment to improving our service offering to partners.

 

Once again, thanks to all those who took part; your input is much appreciated.

 

For more information contact:

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

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SASSOT Supports Stafford�s Sports Awards

Friday 22 February saw Sport Stafford Borough recognise its sporting talent at its annual sports awards ceremony, held at St. Leonard�s Sport and Social Club.

 

Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent committed its support by sponsoring one of the awards � Junior Team Performance of the Year which was won this year by Meir Heath Girls U15 Cricket Team.

 Pictured above: Meir Heath Girls U15 Cricket Team and their coach with Andy Weston (far right)

Andy Weston, Staffordshire FA County Development Officer and SASSOT Executive Board Member was in attendance to present the award to the winners at the event which was attended by over 200 of the borough�s sporting guests.

 

Jason Britton, SASSOT�s Business Development Manager commented, �We�re really pleased to be associated with the awards. It�s the first time the CSP has sponsored such an event but we�re hopeful of supporting our other local authority partners who hold similar evenings. We�d hope to be able to use the local awards as the basis for awarding a Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent overall award who will be nominated for the BBC Midlands Today Awards later this year.�

For more information contact:

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

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Upcoming Workshops

Moving on .... by the time you read this, our Education and Training Officer, Elaine Loader, will have left the Partnership as she has relocated to Manchester.  We are delighted to welcome to our team, Kam Webster who will be acting as Education and Training Officer. 

Before leaving, Elaine put together a comprehensive programme 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, and how to book, please click here

These workshops are organised in partnership with sports coach UK, runningsports and a number of First Aid organisers.

Coaches and volunteers, now have an alternative option when taking or renewing their First Aid certificate. Previously, the only course available on our programme was a 6 hour Appointed Person, which entails a high cost in terms of time and cost. In conjunction with the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS), one of the most respected First Aid Training organisations in the country, we will be running a 3 hour Emergency Aid (Community Life Support Course) which will be relevant for most sports. However, as certain sports have more stringent requirements for Clubmark and coaching purposes, delegates should check with their NGB before enrolling on this course.

We continue to deliver regular workshops such as Safeguarding & Protecting Children, Equity in your Coaching and A Club for All. Please note that due to declining numbers on the Equity in Your Coaching and A Club for All workshops, we are reducing the frequency to two workshops per year. If you find that you cannot attend the workshops we have planned, contact us and we will help you find alternatives.

For more information on the above please contact: 

Kam Webster

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

or

Ben Hollands 
Workforce Development Officer
Tel: 01785 619317
Email: bhollands@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

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Newsletter 

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

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

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

 

 

 

Sport England – strategy consultation 

Following the announcement towards the end of 2007 by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport that he wished to see a more focused role for Sport England in the future, Jennie Price, the Chief Executive, wrote to a wide range of sporting stakeholders on 2nd January 2008 seeking their views on the future direction of Sport England’s Strategy for 2008-2011. 

View  the Strategy Consultation Feedback Summary (PDF)

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Sport England responds to Regional Economic Strategy consultation

 

Following initial responses made to the strategy review consultation last year, Sport England in the West Midlands has now responded to the request for feedback on the 'West Midlands Economic Strategy Delivery Framework'.
Please view our original responses to the strategy made in February 2007 and the consultation response to the 'Delivery Framework’.

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Partnerships for Schools – 2 BSF Guidance Notes

BSF design guidance PE & Sport - click here to view the leaflet

PE & School sport in BSF fact sheet  click here to view the fact sheet

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Sport England publication – Sport: A positive activity

Sport: A positive activity. Guidance for local authorities’ children’s services working through their children’s trust partnership arrangements.

Download the publication

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Sport England Research Bulletin

View the Issue 3 Feb 2008:

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Sporting Market Segments – regional maps and information

There are 19 Sporting Market Segments geographical maps for the West Midlands showing the distribution of each segment across the region and also 19 maps for each County Sports Partnership geographical area.

Further maps will be available for Local Authorities in the near future, i.e. 19 maps per LA, more information will follow about this shortly.

Regional case studies are also available from the website and we aim to develop this section in the future to include further case studies.

Please contact Rachel O’Reilly 0207 273 1835 if you have any queries.

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New data on children’s height and weight published

The National Child Measurement Programme began in 2005. Children in Reception (4-5 year olds) and Year 6 (10-11 year olds) have their height and weight measured in schools as part of the NCMP, which takes place every year.

View some key points from the data: 

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Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet - National Statistics

The report contains data that incorporates Active People, Health Survey for England, DCMS Taking Part Survey, PESSCL and School Travel data in the physical activity section.

Read the overview of the report to help you summarise what it is about and the weblink for the document. The report is huge so please refer to the briefing!

 

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House of Commons and Lords questions week commencing 4 February 2008

Reminder – new format for this section – brief intro and then full text in attached document:

Foster, D - Sport

Mon, 4 February 2008 | House of Commons - Written Answer
Contents

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made towards his Department's public service agreement target to increase the take-up of cultural and sporting opportunities by adults and young people aged 16 and above from priority groups; and what steps he has taken to ensure this target is met. [182700] ……………………………………….

Foster, D - Planning Permission (Playing Fields)

Mon, 4 February 2008 | House of Commons - Written Answer

Contents

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the change in the number of playing fields of an area of less than 0.4 hectares in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [183923] ……………………………………………………………………

Foster, D - Planning permission (playing fields)

Tue, 5 February 2008
Contents

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2008, Official Report, column 19W, on planning permission: playing fields, if he will break down the planning applications considered by Sport England by region. [183924]

……………………………………………………..

Hoban - Active Places Website

Mon, 4 February 2008 | House of Commons - Written Answer
Contents

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) total hits and (b) unique visitors the active places website had in each of the last three years. [182741] ………………………………………………………


Foster, D - Sport England (finance)

Tue, 5 February 2008
Contents

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to his Department's press release of 12 October 2007, how much funding Sport England will receive from the comprehensive spending review settlement in (a) cash and (b) real terms until 2011. [172824] ……. ……. …….

 

Taylor, R - Water sports (canoe access agreements)

Wed, 6 February 2008
Contents  

Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on canoe access agreements; and how much his Department has spent on researching such agreements. [184246]……………………………………….

Drew - Cycling

Tue, 5 February 2008
Contents

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to provide funding to complete the Sustrans network as part of the Government's cycling strategy. [183046] …………………………………

View details:

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House of Commons and Lords questions 7 February 2008

Taylor - Water Sports: Finance
Thu, 7 February 2008 | House of Commons - Written Answer
Contents
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on the sport of canoeing in the last five years. [184245] ……….

Hoban - Secondary Education: Sports
Thu, 7 February 2008 | House of Commons - Written Answer
Contents
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2008, Official Report, column 1906W, on secondary education: sports, what sports and activities are covered by the terms (a) high quality PE and school sports and (b) inter-school competition. [184804] ………………………………………..

Robertson - Legacy of Olympic Games 2012
Thu, 7 February 2008 | House of Commons - Written Answer
Contents
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to bring forward proposals to develop the legacy for mass participation in sport which is expected to result from the London 2012 Olympics. [184386] ……………………………………….

Southworth - Sports: Learning Disability
Thu, 7 February 2008 | House of Commons - Written Answer
Contents
Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to improve opportunities for adults and children with a learning disability to (a) participate in sport and (b) develop their skills to enable them to achieve their sporting potential. [184332] …………………………………………………….

View the detailed responses:

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Sport and Health

 

Government publishes Obesity Strategy

The Government has launched the obesity strategy, Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives which puts in process the first stage of reforms designed to combat the rising number of overweight adults and children. At the centre of the strategy is increasing physical activity; something which will be directly relevant for Sport England. The report also mentions the possibility of creating Active England, a new body which would work alongside Sport England to increase physical activity.

 

The strategy aims to pull in input from a number of different sources, with responsibilities given to the Department of Health, the Department for Children, Schools and Families as well as a number of non governmental bodies such as Ofcom (with responsibility over junk food advertising) and schools to ensure that healthy meals are offered.

 

The Secretary of State for Health, the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP said:

"Tackling obesity is the most significant public and personal health challenge facing our society. The core of the problem is simple – we eat too much and we do too little exercise. The solution is more complex.  From the nature of the food that we eat, to the built environment, through to the way our children lead their lives - it is harder to avoid obesity in the modern environment.”

 

The Obesity Action Plan is available here

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Cycling receives funding boost

The Department for Transport has unveiled a £140 million investment into cycling. The aim of the investment is to see over half a million more children involved in cycling by 2012. The money will go towards improving the National Cycle Network, with the specific target of creating of 250 more Safe Links to Schools. This announcement forms part of the DfT’s wider proposals to reduce carbon emissions through creating more sustainable transport initiatives. It also forms a part of the Government’s obesity strategy.

 

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NICE issue guidelines for increasing physical activity

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has produced guidelines on creating or promoting physical environments which are more likely to encourage physical activity. The guidelines include a number of proposals such as ensuring that the need for physical activity is key component of new planning proposals. The report also issues advice on creating more access to healthier ways of travelling to and from work, such as better walking and cycling routes.

 

Further information on the guidelines is available here and a full copy of the report is available here.

 

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Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: a Cross-Government Strategy for England

On Wednesday 23 January, a new £372 million cross-government strategy on obesity, Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives, was published by the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson and the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls.

The main aim of the obesity strategy is to help the UK become the first country to successfully reverse the trend of rising obesity levels. The government aims to see the levels of obesity return to levels of the year 2000 by the year 2020. Following on from the Foresight Review of Obesity, published in 2007, the new obesity strategy forms the first stage of the Government’s approach to support people in maintaining a healthy weight. The report also lays out plans to publish an annual assessment of progress made in reducing obesity levels.

The report specifies that responsibility for tackling obesity lies not only with the individual but also with government and wider society. The plan aims to demonstrate a vision for the ways in which schools, the food industry, employers, health services and others can tackle the obesity epidemic. Below is a table taken from the report, mapping out the responsibilities of the relevant sectors.

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Sport and the Olympics

 

Think tank criticises British coaching system

A report has been released by the sports think tank Sportnation which condemns the British coaching system for employing too many voluntary coaches. The report, Are we missing the coach for 2012, which was commissioned by Loughborough University, claims that within British sport there is too much reliance on "white, middle-class men who are giving up a bit of time" and that it is necessary to employ more permanent coaches if any progress is to be made in improving Britain’s medal tally by 2012. The report called for further investment in British Coaching in order to sort this out, saying that there is a need for an extra 160,000 paid coaches to be in place by 2016.

 

A full copy of the report is available here.

  

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Sport England gives evidence to Olympics inquiry

 

The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee took evidence from Jennie Price, Chief Executive of Sport England and Sean Holt, London Director of Sport England on Tuesday 22 January 2008 as part of the ongoing inquiry into the London 2012 Olympics Games. The MPs focussed their questioning on the structural arrangements of Sport England, the definition of sport and the impact of the Olympics funding on grassroots sports. Other issues raised included the feasibility of reusable venues for the Olympic Games and the community legacy of the Games. Rosemary McKenna MP (Labour, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) raised concerns about the level of funding for netball, given its status as a non-Olympic sport.

 

Following the session with Sport England, the Committee took evidence from the Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe MP. He was asked about the barriers to participating in sport and how government could encourage lifestyle changes. The Minister suggested that choice and diversity of sporting provision would encourage more people to take up sport. He confirmed that responsibility for healthy living does not reside with Sport England, and the healthy living agenda is being driven forward by a Cabinet Committee led by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

 

In response to a question about the selling off of playing fields the Minister replied that Sport England will be publishing a report on the issue soon and confirmed that Sport England has a key role in the planning system where playing fields are at risk. The Chair of the Committee asked about the role of Sport England in relation to sports governing bodes and about the role of other departments in funding physical activity.

 

The Committee will hold the next session on Tuesday 29 January when the Minister for the Olympics, the Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP will give evidence.

 

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Olympics Minister gives evidence to Commons Committee

 

The Olympics Minister, the Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP gave evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on Tuesday 29 January, as part of the inquiry into the London 2012 Olympics.

 

When asked about her responsibilities, the Minister said she felt that her role was very clear. Her position was to coordinate input from a number of departments, including the Cabinet Office and the DCMS on the Olympics. However, she noted that the Olympic sporting legacy was the responsibility of the DCMS and a number of other departments and agencies, including Sport England, while the Cultural Olympiad was a shared responsibility.

 

Sport England was also directly mentioned on the subject of temporary venues for the games. When asked how the temporary venues would be reallocated, the Minister said that Sport England was leading on the consultation, conducting market research throughout the year on the best locations for the venues. Local Authorities will be asked to bid for the venues as part of this process.

 

A large section of the discussion was on the issue of funding the Olympics. The committee queried the amount of money that would be spent on the Olympics, and the amount which would be returned, The Minister outlined a number of figures which can be seen below. She also went on to say that the agreements were not legally binding, but that they formed part of the ‘memorandum of understanding’:

 

• The return from the sales of land for the Olympics was estimated as £1.8 billion.
• Land sales have no bearing on the £9.325 billion Olympic budget.
• Inflation may play a role in the final figures, although land inflation tends to be very resilient.
• There is an attempt to make sure that firms outside of London are awarded contracts as well
• There is a £2.7 billion contingency budget and she does not expect any cash flow problems. 

Repayments would be in three tranches: 

• The first tranche of £650 million will be repaid to the London Development Agency (LDA), which is the cost of land acquisition.
• Seventy-five per cent of the next tranche of £531 million will go to the Lottery and 25 per cent to the LDA.
• From the third tranche, 25 per cent will come back to the Lottery, completing the repayment of the Lottery, and the remainder will go to the LDA.

The legacy ‘master plan’ for the site will be published in 2009.This is being steered by a committee chaired by the Mayor, with the five London Borough leaders, the LDA, Tessa Jowell and the Minister for Housing and Planning also sitting on it.

 

Ministers announce review on ‘Olympic School’

 

In a joint statement from the Schools Minister Jim Knight and the Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, it was announced that a review will be undertaken to explore the possibility of establishing a specialist school at the site the Olympic stadium after the 2012 Games. The review’s terms of reference are “To advise Government on potential options for securing an educational legacy at the Olympic Stadium site after the 2012 Games”.  The review will consult widely among stakeholders including sports governing bodies and Sport England.

 

The review will form part of the Government’s strategy to ensure a post 2012 legacy, combining both sport and education. Led by Ian Stewart (the former CEO of Cambridgeshire County Council) the report will be issued this summer. The panel has been asked to provide final advice by June 2008, and state which, if any, options it considers would be viable, and how they might best be managed and financed.

 

The Olympics Minister, the Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP said:

“The stadium has the potential to inspire future generations with the Olympic ideals of young people striving for excellence.  A school designed to nurture sporting and related achievement could be an excellent legacy embodying those ideals.” 

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Sport and young people’s participation

 

On Friday 1^st February the Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a speech to the Specialist Schools Colleges Conference in Telford calling for a new drive to encourage children to do more sport and to encourage more young people to compete in a fun environment and showcase their sporting talent.

The Prime Minister called for a national team effort by parents, teachers, sporting talents and volunteers to help make sport a central part of every child's life and unlock their talent.

 

The key parts of the speech related to:

• A National School Sports Week, taking place from the 30th June 2008
• The introduction of five hours of sport a week for school pupils
• A national school league table website
• Better access to sports facilities outside school hours

The Prime Minister was joined by Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Andy Burnham, and School Sports Champion Dame Kelly Holmes. Gordon Brown praised the success of sports colleges and teachers who "motivate and inspire" young people across the country. He said he believed that sport can "do more to raise the level of aspiration among not just some pupils but all pupils in our schools". He also said that involving parents was key.

The Prime Minister said:
"Competition is the spice of life and it finds its purest expression in sport. It does not matter if you are not the best just as long as you are always striving to be better. It does not matter if you do not win, just as long as you are always giving everything to be the winner.

"I know that we can tap into that spirit of competition in school sport. In fact, we are already tapping into it and it is not only improving the health and the attitude of our nation's children, but lifting their self-esteem and their educational achievement too.

"So, in the run up to the 2012 Olympics, I want not just to continue to nurture specialist sports colleges but also to restore sport to its proper place in all our schools - not as an after-school option for the able and enthusiastic few but as a central part of the experience of every child."

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House of Commons and Lords questions 18 – 20 Feb (received to date)
Sports

 

Mon, 18 February 2008 | House of Commons - Written Answer
Contents

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of progress towards his Department's public service agreement target to increase significantly the take-up of sports opportunities by users from priority groups; and if he will make a statement. [185845] ………..

 

Sports: Young People
Mon, 18 February 2008 | House of Commons - Written Answer
Contents

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what mechanisms are in place to provide support to outstanding young athletes in relation to elite sport. [185320] ……………………………….

 

Youth Sport Trust: Finance
Mon, 18 February 2008 | House of Commons - Written Answer
Contents

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding the Youth Sports Trust has received from his Department in each of the last three years; and whether such funding has been targeted to particular programmes. [184614] …………………

Addington - Sporting Legacy of 2012 London Olympics
Wed, 20 February 2008 | House of Lords - Oral Question
Summary

The following questions regarding the planning for the sporting legacy of the London 2012 Olympics, were answered by Lord Davies of Oldham.
Contents
Lords Answer - 20 Feb 08
Olympic Games 2012: Legacy
3.16 pm
Lord Addington asked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made on the planning and accountability for a sporting legacy from the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games in the elite and participatory sectors………………………………………..

Culture Media and Sport – Sports
Written answers

Wednesday, 20 February 2008

Don Foster (Bath, Liberal Democrat) | Hansard source

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of people who participated in one active sport at least 12 times a year in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07, broken down by region.

View the detailed responses:

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House of Commons and Lords questions – 22 Feb (received to date)

Written answers
Friday, 22 February 2008
Children, Schools and Families

Sports: Finance 

Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey, Conservative) | Hansard source

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been drawn down by each local education authority from New Opportunities for PE and sport funding; and how many projects have received funding.

View the detailed response.

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Funding Boost for Sports Pitches

In a speech at the Specialist Sports Colleges Conference, the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families announced additional funding for increased use of schools’ sports pitches at night and throughout the winter. The announcement of £30m investment over the next three years will provide schools with the funding to install floodlights, improve drainage systems and build new facilities. This announcement forms part of the Government’s drive against a ‘no ball games’ culture, that was initially set out in the December 2007 Children’s Plan.  The investment will be directed at those Sports Colleges most in need and for whom the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme is still some way off.

 

Ed Balls also announced plans to issue a ‘strategy leaflet’, which will outline the best ways to increase the numbers of children participating in more than two hours of exercise a week. In his speech the Schools’ Secretary also urged local authorities to take on new initiatives that encourage activities in the evenings, such as “Midnight Basketball”, an idea taken from the United States.

 

For further information please see here.

 

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Conservative Party – strategy on children

Click here to read the second report of the Conservative Childhood Review, ‘More Ball Games’. 

The main proposals included in the review include:

• Increasing accessibility to sports and other activities within and outside school
• Making outdoor space safer and more protected
• Dealing with bullying

Click here to read the press release and the text of the speech delivered.

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Conservative Party publishes ‘More Ball Games’ report

The Conservative Party have published a report entitled ‘More Ball Games’ which sets out their plans to increase physical activity for young people. The report is the second from the Childhood Review led by Shadow Innovation, Universities and Skills Minister, David Willetts. One of the main objectives of the Willetts Review team is to explore the reasons for the decrease in activity among young people over the last few years. The report outlines three key proposals: making outdoor space safer and more protected; dealing with bullying; and increasing accessibility to sports and other activities within and outside school.

 

Of specific importance to the sporting sector is the emphasis on increasing accessibility to sports and other activities. The report notes that it does not believe that the current policies will be able to reach the target of five hours of participation a week for children. The report also states that the numbers of those competing in competitive sport is even lower and that this is something which should be addressed. At the heart of the debate is the apparent lack of access to sport in the community; something which is attributed to a large amount of funding being taken from grass roots sport in order to pay for the 2012 Olympics.

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Scout Association survey reveals low levels of activity

 

A survey commissioned by the Scout Association has found that the 90% of young people are not taking the amount of exercise that is advised by the Department of Health. A survey of 2,000 found that the majority of young people and adults alike did not know safe areas in the community where they could participate in outdoor exercise.

 

This report was published to coincide with a new campaign launched by the Scout Association which looks to get more young people involved in outdoor activities. The campaign is called the ‘Kids Outdoors’ Campaign, and aims to educate young people about the places where they can go to participate in sport and other outdoor activities. The campaign also looks to provide alternatives to TV and computer games.

 

For further information please see here

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Culture and sport improvement toolkit - IDeA

Consultation with the sport and cultural sector has revealed a strong desire to create a single improvement tool and rationalise existing service-specific tools. The toolkit was piloted in eight local authorities during 2007 and independently evaluated by IDeA. Please view

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Vinspire.com

v. It’s the first letter in volunteering. It's also the name of the independent charity championing youth volunteering in England.

Click here to read more about this charity.

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Everyday Swim News (national)

February 08 edition of Everyday Swim News is now available on their website

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New - Membership scheme from the LTA 

Set to be the UK’s largest tennis membership programme to date when it launches in March, British Tennis Membership has something for everyone, whether you like to play, watch or compete in the country’s favourite game.

Yet British Tennis Membership is more than your average membership scheme. It is one of the LTA’s many steps this year to improve British tennis and find our nation’s next big winners. It is designed to promote competition and in particular, increase the number of regularly competing juniors by giving support to players, parents and coaches so they can get the most out of competitive tennis in their area and beyond.

Membership packages can be purchased in preparation for the March launch date. All members of affiliated clubs are being offered the core package for free, as are children who are eight or under. Those who are not affiliated to a club can purchase their package for just £25 (adults) or £5 (juniors nine and over).

To find out more about British Tennis Membership or to purchase your package, simply visit  http://www.lta.org.uk/Members/Join/ or call 0845 873 7202.

 

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A Sustainable Future for Cycling 

To view the full strategy from the Department for Transport

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Sporting Equals

February Newsletter: Contact Sporting Equals for more information

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StreetGames

January e-alert:click here to view

February e-alert: click here to view

29 February e-alert: click here to view

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RegenWM

February newsletter:
 

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2012 Activity Calendar

Latest edition: click here

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2012 in the West Midlands

Giving it our all – newsletter

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Advantage West Midlands, the West Midlands Business Council are running FREE ‘Prepare for 2012 Workshops’ – 25 April workshop

From the invitation:

In association with Advantage West Midlands, the West Midlands Business Council are running FREE "Prepare for 2012 Workshops" to inform and engage with businesses with the opportunities from the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games in a range of areas, including procurement.

We have arranged for one of these workshops to take place at Cannock Cricket and Hockey Club (http://www.cannockcricketandhockeyclub.co.uk/) on

Friday 25 April 2008 from 9.30am to 12.30pm followed by a buffet lunch.

Read more details:

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LGA and 2012 – 2 free events - one national one regional

LGA's 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games LA Officer Network 7th April 2008, Local Government House, Westminster, SW10 3HZ  (no attendance charge)

Regional briefings on the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Beacon council theme (England only) - West Midlands, Wragge & co- Birmingham, 12^{th March}  

View the details:

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Awards for All announcements

Latest awards in the WM.
Press release

 

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Clubmark – licensed CSPs

Clubmark has good reason to celebrate as the number of licensed County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) doubles, bringing the total to six! 2008 has got off to a great start with 3 more CSPs recently awarded a license to accredit Clubmark - Living Sport, sportessex and Lancashire Sport Partnership.

Please view the full press release:

 

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‘V’ – in the West Midlands

Information promoting 'V' in the region

Volunteer Roles for the ‘V’ Project

 

Volunteering England

Wider volunteering – sport volunteering update March 2008:

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CCPR bulletins
 

CEO Forum February Issue:

CCPR Policy Update

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Clubmark is a cross-sport quality accreditation for clubs with junior sections and is rapidly becoming the national standard for quality sports clubs. More national governing bodies of sport are adopting the scheme and over 150 clubs throughout Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have now achieved Clubmark/NGB accreditation.

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (SASSOT) is working with sports organisations and local authorities to encourage more clubs to raise standards and join.  

We are pleased to announce that Dragonfly Aikido Juniors have become the first Aikido club in Staffordshire to achieve the Clubmark accreditation status.

Dragonfly Aikikai is part of Seijitsu Aikido Ryu. Dragonfly Aikido Juniors began life in Burntwood Youth & Community Centre in 1973 where Shihan Bayliss was youth worker in charge. They relocated to our current venue, St Thomas More Primary School in Great Wryley in 2003.

Dragonfly Aikikai teach the traditional Aikido in the style of the founder Morihei Ueshiba.

They are a friendly club with a loyal following and they always extend a warm welcome to visitors from other clubs, new members and people who are simply curious about Aikido

The club teaches contemporary Aikido, a unique martial art that originated in Japan. The art involves the use of strikes and throws to defend oneself against individual or multiple attackers. Their students range from 8 – 14 years old, male and female, and of mixed abilities.

They train hard and with focus, using safety equipment as required, but above all - They have fun!

 

Clubmark was introduced in 2002 by Sport England to:

Ensure that accrediting partners apply core common criteria to ensure that consistent good practice and minimum operating standards are delivered through all club development and accreditation schemes.

• To empower parent(s)/carer(s) when choosing a club for their children.
• To ensure that Clubmark accredited clubs are recognised through a common approach to branding.
• To provide a focus around which all organisations involved in sport can come together to support good practice in sports clubs working with children and young people.

 

Clubmark accreditation is awarded to clubs that comply with minimum operating standards in four areas:

• The playing programme
• Duty of care and child protection
• Sports equity and ethics
• Club management

 

Dragonfly Aikido Juniors stated that a great deal of work went into achieving this status and we believe it represents a positive step forwards for the juniors in their organisation.

 

Pictured above: Dragonfly Aikido Juniors

 

SASSOT believes "Giving young people the opportunity to experience the fun and excitement of particpatijg in Aikido as a member of a friendly and supportive club can be a major influence on a young person's development.  Our sports clubs in Staffordshire need to be accessible and welcoming to everyone."

 

Parents looking for quality clubs, whatever sport, are likely to seek out the accredited clubs awarded the Clubmark  status. The accredited clubs, of all sports, will be added to the list on the Sport England Clubmark and SASSOT website. They will be promoted by the Local Authorities in their publications, when approached by parents and with their dealings with schools and colleges looking for clubs for their pupils.

 

Clubs awarded Clubmark can be proud of what they have achieved. Parents can be assured that their children belong to a safer club. Members can be sure their club is a well-managed club, striving to offer the best in coaching and sports development. By striving to achieve higher standards clubs are likely to attract more members and build a sustainable future. 

 

The goal is for every club in Staffordshire to reach higher standards of safety, fairness, coaching and management.  That way the sub-regions sports club infrastructure will be safer, stronger and more successful.

 

Dragonfly Aikido Juniors are based at St Thomas More School, Great Wyrley, Staffordshire and train on Monday and Wednesday evenings 7-8pm.

 

Please contact Shihan Terry Bayliss for further details regarding the club;
Tel: 01543 683526
Email: terrence.bayliss@btinternet.com

  

For further Club Development / Clubmark information please contact Chris Turner, SASSOT Club & PESSCL Development Officer on cturner@staffordbc.gov.uk or 01785 619681

 

 

 

Blythe Bridge High School boys teams were dominant at the Staffordshire inter-schools championships winning both the U14 and U16 competitions. Trentham High School girls teams were equally impressive also winning both the U14 and U16 competitions.

 

The Staffordshire County Round of the BADMINTON England National inter-schools championships took place on 29th and 30th January at Trentham High School.

 

In the under 14 boys' competition, Blythe Bridge High School were the winners edging out Clayton Hall High School who finished in second place.  Schools competed against each other in a group of five with Blythe Bridge winning all their matches 3-2.

 

Blythe Bridge were dominant in the under 16 boys competition completing a successful day with 5-0 wins in all their matches. The runners up were John Taylor who performed well but were unable to account for the strength in depth of the Blythe Bridge team.

 

Trentham High School were the major success story in the girls' competition. In the under 14 girls, a closely fought battle between Trentham, Westwood College and Clayton Hall resulted in a win for Trentham with Westwood as runners up.

 

The closest competition came in the under 16 girls where Trentham (pictured below), Biddulph and John Taylor were all tied on two matches each. The final result was then decided on total games won with Trentham winning by just one game from Biddulph and John Taylor. Second place went to John Taylor who could only be separated from Biddulph on points difference.

Pictured above: Trentham High School U16 Girls

The winning teams will now go on to represent Staffordshire in the regional round.


For more information about the National Inter-Schools Competition and Schools programmes please contact:

Matt Hanson
Badminton Development Officer
Tel: 07825 981924
Email: matthanson@badmintonengland.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staffordshire FA and Stoke City FC are holding their annual Disability Awareness Day on Saturday 8^th March 2008 at the Britannia Stadium. The event is held every year to highlight and promote Disability Football throughout the county.

In the past this event has been extremely well received and we are hoping that this year will be bigger and better; the day will star footballers with a range of disabilities receiving free fun coaching sessions from coaches who have taken The FA’s Coaching Disabled Footballers' Certificate.

 

The afternoon will see winners of the Staffordshire FA’s Annual Special Schools Tournament held in September, take to the field before the Stoke City v Burnley game to receive their winner’s trophy and medals before taking in the game at Britannia Stadium. At half time there will be a demonstration match on the pitch highlighting that people, regardless of age, race, gender or disability can access football and that disability football is fully supported by the Staffordshire FA and Stoke City FC.

 

If you know of any individual / disability organisation that would like to become involved in the day please contact Jamie Leaning on 01785 256994, 07800619884 or jamie.leaning@staffordshirefa.com for further information.

 

 

Thanks to a grant from Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent's ACCESS Across Staffordshire fund, Staffordshire FA has been able to start running a pilot 4v4 Special Schools Girls League at the Powerleague, Stoke. The idea is to get more females playing football in a comfortable environment whilst realising the challenges of schools making 7-aside teams.

 

 

The Staffordshire FA’s 4v4 Special Schools Girls League has currently had two rounds of fixtures in which six teams have taken part so far. The league has produced an opportunity for girls to play football in an environment where they feel more comfortable as there are no boys. So far, the league has provided a lot of enjoyment for the players, excitement for the spectators, plenty of quality football and goals galore!

The remaining fixture dates are:

 Wednesday 19^th March 08

Wednesday 30^th April 08

Wednesday 21^st May 08

 

The league is open to all special schools. Each fixture date will allow more girls to participate.

 

For anymore information please contact Jamie Leaning on 01785 256994, 07800619884 or jamie.leaning@staffordshirefa.com

 

 

 

 

The Staffordshire FA’s Disability Centre of Excellence u17 and u14 squads travelled to Judgemeadow Community Centre, Leicestershire for the second East and West Midlands C of E fixture date. Each squad played 4 games throughout the day, 2 against Birmingham FA and 2 against Leicestershire & Rutland FA.

 

 

Both squads did themselves, their coaches and the travelling parent support proud as they competed to the best of their ability in each and every game. Each team listened to their coach’s advice and tactics and brought into practice what they had learnt in their training sessions, which in turn, helped them play some very entertaining football against strong opposition.

 

The Centre of Excellence is still recruiting players and is also looking for coaches (minimum Level 2) to work at the centre, if you know of anybody that may be interested please contact the Staffordshire FA’s disability coach Jamie Leaning on 01785 256994 (option 2 then 5), 07800619884 or jamie.leaning@staffordshirefa.com

 

The squad would like to thank Leicestershire FA for hosting the fixtures and supplying the referees. They would also like to thank Happy Days Coaches for transporting them to and from the fixtures. 

 

County Sport Partnerships have been established across the country by Sport England. But what do they do, and how are they related to rowing in your local area? Rowing and Regatta found out…

What are County Sports Partnerships?

County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) have been established by Sport England to help drive up the number of adults and young people regularly taking part in sport and active recreation. They are essentially what links national policy on sport and those who deliver sport in the local area – in the case of rowing, ARA-affiliated clubs, coaches and volunteers i.e. ‘The People behind the People’ (see diagram below). Sport England’s regional teams, in partnership with other regional agencies, work closely with CSPs and the Governing Bodies of Sport to ensure there is a cohesive strategy to deliver both national and regional objectives.

In the West Midlands, the CSPs and the Community Sports Networks (CSNs) have been consulted on the priorities for investment in sport at the sub regional level. As a result, approximately two thirds of Sport England’s National Lottery funding, which is delivered through the Community Investment Fund, will be invested through - or by - CSPs. 

Delivery System for Sport The Delivery System for Sport clarifies the position and role that different agencies and organisations play in delivering opportunities for sport and active recreation. Overall aim – to get more people participating in sport and active  recreation.

Wendy Anderson, Active Recreation Manager, Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke–on–Trent explains the role of a CSP:

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (SASSOT) is one of 49 'county' level partnerships set up in England.  The Partnership consists of: our ten local authorities, Staffordshire University, schools, health agencies, the Youth Offending Service, the voluntary and private sectors - and importantly, regional officers from the National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs), including the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA). SASSOT then works in conjunction with Sport England in the West Midlands to deliver national and regional policies to develop sport and active recreation through its partnership working at a sub-regional and local level.

Mark Thornewill, Partnership Director, SASSOT, has past experience working with the ARA, as he worked with the local organisers for the Burton Regatta. Mark explains the role of the CSP:

• We Advocate: As the ‘one voice for sport’ in Staffordshire.  We lead and communicate the sport ‘product’ and try to influence public, political and organisational opinion at a sub - regional and local level.
• We Enable: By supporting medium and long-term planning through our sub regional level strategy linked to NGBs, local authorities, primary care trusts and schools.
• We Deliver outcomes: By co-ordinating delivery and investment to try and avoid duplication.

There are five key areas of work that we, and the other 48 partnerships, concentrate on:

 

1. Adult Participation
A significant part of our work is to find new and innovative ways of getting more over 16s involved in sport and active recreation, resulting in widening access to opportunities for all sections of our community.  It is well known that the majority of people will not take enough exercise when they leave school and this can lead to health issues in later life.

We are working with public and private sports providers and the NGBs to find innovative ways to encourage adults to try new activities, or to go back to a sport they enjoyed as a youngster.  In Staffordshire the rowing clubs at Burton, Rudyard and Stoke-on-Trent all offer some form of 'Adult Learn to Row'.  Staffordshire University also teaches ‘freshers’ to row, indeed this is where top GB rower Andy Hodge began his career.  Anna Bebington’s mum has also taken up the sport at Rudyard. 

2. Pathways for young people
Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent also works very closely with all the school sport partnerships in the sub-region.  These are groups of primary and secondary schools that work together in a very local area.  They are delivering the Government’s aspiration of getting children to do five hours of sport in school, after school and in local clubs.   The clubs in Burton and Stoke-on-Trent work very closely with the schools and are part of ‘Project Oarsome’, the ARA’s scheme to link secondary schools with rowing clubs.  The initiatives at both clubs have been heavily supported by East Staffordshire Borough Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council respectively.  We have also provided funding to these clubs to support their youth work through the Community Sports Coach programme.

3. Clubs, coaches and volunteers
This is a very important part of our work, we want to see clubs grow and flourish with increased membership.  We are realistic, sports clubs are run by volunteers and most coaching is unpaid.  We are encouraging local authorities and schools to work with ‘Clubmark’ accredited clubs. We also try and access funding to help coaches take the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) 

At the same time we want to help clubs link into their local community and breakdown barriers. This has been successfully achieved in Stoke and Burton with the clubs working in deprived communities. 

4. Community Sports Networks (CSNs)
CSNs, sometimes known as Sport and Physical Activity Alliances (SPAAs) or local sports networks, are in the process of being established in most local authority areas in England.  They will bring together local agencies and groups and agree the best way of developing sport and active recreation in their area. 

As a CSP we will support and guide the CSNs and where possible invest in schemes where a need has been identified. We have had great success recently in coordinating a portfolio of bids from our CSNs to Sport England West Midlands’ Community Investment Fund (National Lottery funding). The ARA’s 'Rowing and Health' scheme is ideally placed to benefit from CSNs.

5. Supporting the wider agenda
This is important work for CSPs, as we need to ensure sport remains a high priority for traditional partners, also that sport’s positive impact is recognised in the areas of: health, education, crime reduction and community regeneration. We are working to help ensure that 'sport' is an important part of Local Area Agreements.  LAAs are the way that central government will be funding local authorities, our job is to help ensure that sport gets the funding that it requires to deliver local priorities. 

The Government is also working to rebuild or modernise every single secondary school in England through a programme called ‘Building Schools for the Future’.  We are an important part of the local consultation process, again making sure that sports facilities are an important part of development plans for new and refurbished secondary schools.  The ARA has already provided advice on  appropriate  equipment for rowing.

How we work

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent is based at Stafford Borough Council’s offices.  We have an Executive Board, which is made up of a wide range of partners from:

• Local authorities
• Education - including HE
• NGBs
• Health agencies
• The voluntary and private sectors
• Youth Offending Service

Advisory support is given by Sport England in the West Midlands.

The Executive Board’s role is to provide inspiration, vision and leadership to the Partnership and to champion the benefits of sport. The Board’s Chair is Laurence O’Neill, who represents the voluntary sector and who also has experience of coaching with local sports clubs.

We have a small core team led by Director, Mark Thornewill. We also have personnel responsible for partnership working with NGBs, School Sport Partnerships, Club Development, Coaches, Volunteers, Equity, Training and Education and Research and Marketing. 

Mark offers one final piece of advice…

“We would recommend to all rowing clubs that they make contact with their local CSNs, where they are already established. We can help you find out about the CSNs in your area and provide you with contacts. This link is important to both clubs and CSNs, as the potential within clubs to meet the locally identified priority needs of community sport requires highlighting, as the major route for investment in community sport is now channelled through the CSNs, with the aim of increasing participation in sport and active recreation.”


For further information on Rowing in Staffordshire, please contact:

Daniel Hetherington – ARA Team Leader – 0797 1159596 (covers North of county, inc Stoke and Rudyard areas) – daniel.hetherington@ara-rowing.org

Simon Dowdy – ARA Team Leader – 07733346796 (covers South of county, inc Burton) – simon.dowdy@ara-rowing.org

Further information on CSPs and links to each county can be found at:
http://www.sportengland.org/csp

 

 

The Rugby Football Union has been shortlisted for a prestigious Sport Industry Award for its ground-breaking efforts in boosting player numbers in England.

 

The RFU's Go Play Rugby campaign will be one of six contenders in the Best Promotion of a Sport by a Governing Body category when the awards are presented in London on May 1.

 

Go Play Rugby was the biggest recruitment campaign ever run by a sport in England and the final results are expected to indicate more than 9,000 adults returning to the game.

 

More than 300 recruitment events were run throughout the country between August and November last year with the national campaign driving prospective players towards participating clubs, universities and colleges.

• Two million of the target audience watched Go Play Rugby advertising in cinemas 
   
• 300 radio and TV stations with an audience of more than 36 million people covered the campaign
   
• 20,000 people searched for places to play on the www.rfu.com/ website or texted their postcode to 64411 to find their nearest club
  
• 1.6m resources – including business cards, beermats and posters –  were distributed to club recruiters around the country

 

England's Rugby World Cup management and players gave their time to support the campaign with captain Phil Vickery, fly half Jonny Wilkinson and the rest of the squad actively backing the campaign.

 

"We're delighted that the Go Play Rugby campaign has been shortlisted for such a prestigious Sport Industry Award," said the RFU Community Rugby Director Andrew Scoular.

 

"Go Play Rugby made a significant impact in strengthening the grassroots game in England thanks to the fantastic efforts of thousands of volunteers and the dedication of the RFU staff.

 

"We were able to invest £1million in the campaign thanks to grants from the National Sports Foundation, the Rugby Football Foundation, sponsorship from the Chelsea Building Society and the support of England Rugby sponsors O2.

 

"For us the next job is to make sure we retain these players and add to them with the Play On phase of the campaign, focusing specifically on the 16-24 age group."

 

England captain Phil Vickery said: "We were delighted to support the Go Play Rugby campaign bringing all these players back into the game.

 

"No matter what level you play at you're part of one big rugby family and it's great to know that family's getting bigger and bigger.”

 

The other entries shortlisted in the category are the ATP, British Cycling, the British Horseracing Authority, the NFL and the Football Association.

 

For more information about the Sport Industry Awards visit www2.sportindustry.biz

 

 

Staffordshire players at all age-groups are involved in Regional and International victories. West Midlands U15s, U18s and seniors involve at least 30 Staffordshire players, whereas the England U20s female rugby squad contains 2 Lichfield players; England A involves 3 Lichfield players and the full England side sees Sarah Hunter of Lichfield scoring a try!

 

With the Rugby 6 Nations starting with some uncertainty for the England boys, the female game is a different matter. England beat Wales in the opening game 55 – 0 with Lichfield’s Sarah Hunter scoring her first International try and the young age of 23.  On the same weekend Lichfield’s Ali Stevens, Ros Crowley and Vicky Jackson played for a young England A side versus the experienced Nomads side that contained over 500 caps to the A’s 5! Jackson scoring the points in the 27 – 12 defeat through her conversions. Finally at International level, Lichfield’s Emily Scarrat and Vicky Fleetwood played in the England U20s victory over Wales.

 

Alongside the International Programme, the RFUW also run a Regional Programme for seniors, U18s and U15s. Sunday 9^th February saw West Midlands seniors beat North East 19 -17 in a very close fought battle with over 10 players from Longton and Lichfield involved from Staffordshire. The U18s had a very convincing win over their North East opponents 40 – 3 with players involved from Lichfield, Burton, Tamworth and Essington. U15s were run very close but just got beaten 10 – 5 by North East. Again players from Lichfield, Burton, Tamworth and Essington, as well as a large contingent from Stafford, were also involved here.

 

For more information contact:

Claire Antcliffe
Midlands WRDM
Tel: 07841 367447
Email: claireantcliffe@rfu.com

   

 

South Staffordshire Sailing Club is celebrating being nominated as one of five finalists in the prestigious Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Club of the Year Awards.

The Club, that received a Community Investment Fund award to develop a new clubhouse with training facilities and facilities for disabled sailing, has been listed by RYA as one of the top 5 clubs in the country for 2008. The RYA award to the top club for 2008 will be made at a finalists’ lunch at Alexandra Palace on March 1^st where the winner will be announced.

Rod Carr, Chief Executive of the Royal Yachting Association commented “Well done on achieving this prestigious award. The continued success of our sport is reliant upon clubs such as South Staffordshire Sailing Club maintaining these high standards and continuing to demonstrate best practice.”

The Club offers competitive restricted class racing for both the experienced and not so experienced sailor, coupled with an active training programme throughout the year.

They are recognised as a Volvo Champion Club and as such a full training programme for junior members. Adult training is available for both members and non-members.

Fingers crossed for South Staffordshire Sailing Club and congratulations to them in being amongst the top 5 – not bad for a club in a landlocked region! Keep an eye on SASSOT’s March newsletter for news of how the club gets on at the finals in London.

 

For further information on the club click here

 

 

 

 

Colin Whitney has been appointed as South Staffordshire's Squash Development Coach and has kicked off by delivering mini-squash to seven schools within Bilston, and a follow-up Saturday morning coaching session at Bilston Leisure Centre.


Colin, who hails from Shropshire, is a Level 3 Licensed Squash Coach with ample playing and coaching experience! 

 

Amongst his list of playing credits are County Squash for Shropshire from Under 10 through to Senior Number 1.  He has also played Midland League Squash for Wolverhampton, Stourbridge and Stourport. 

 

However, Colin’s Coaching wings have taken him even further afield:  he has coached in Ireland, setting up Squash Academies in both Belfast and Galway, resulting in 10 National Junior Champions from these Academies; and has coached at Harvard and Princeton in America in 2006 and 2007.

Colin’s appointment as South Staffordshire Development Coach enables him to take his knowledge and coaching skills into Staffordshire Schools and introduce Squash to the children, via Mini-Squash, initially within their own environment.

This term, Colin is coaching at seven Bilston Primary schools delivering Mini-Squash to 250 children a week.  The Saturday morning follow-up session held at Bilston Leisure Centre, has proved popular with 30 children regularly attending - a great start to the initiative which has only been running for four weeks!

 

If any Schools/Clubs in Staffordshire are interested in applying for Colin’s coaching time for the future school terms, please contact Lisa Emms on 01902 754409 to discuss.

 

 

 

The ASA have introduced a new course aimed at young people aged 14 – 19 yrs who are developing their leadership and coaching skills.

The Young Aquatic Organisers Award will provide an insight into the administration, teaching, coaching and/or officiating of aquatic activities.


The Award Aims to:

• Give young people knowledge of the organisation of the ASA and the clubs that fall within its jurisdiction.
• Equip candidates with the skills to help plan, deliver and evaluate the running of an aquatic event.
• Give candidates the opportunity to volunteer within an ASA accredited Swim21 club.
• Encourage candidates to develop their skills within aquatic sports.

The Award comprises of six units to be delivered using a combination of theory and practical sessions over a period of 10 hours.

This Award is to be delivered by ASA trained personnel and to enable the delivery of the Award in Staffordshire a course to train several Course Presenters has been held by SASSOT at Stafford Civic Centre.

For further details please contact Sheila McLeod: 01785 619605, 07800 619693 or smcleod@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

 

Cannock Chase Council were recently successful in securing a £200,000 funding bid from Play England.  The bid will link directly into the Council’s ‘Chase It’ Young Persons Scheme and will be used to establish a programme of play development throughout the District. 

'Chase It' – Play will be broken down into 3 separate projects over a 3 year period.

1.  RE-Connect

The “RE-Connect” project will establish a district wide peripatetic team of play rangers who will work with children and young people, between the ages of 5-13, and their families to encourage and facilitate their connection with play spaces across the Cannock Chase District.

2.  Help Yourself Play
 

This project is priority number two.  It is the creation and design, by children, for children of 5 packs of play materials.  This process will facilitate children’s engagement and consultation, enabling children to have input into the choice and type of play they want.  The packs will encourage children and young people to engage with their play environment and could include such items as, for example, portable illustrated signs for use in a variety of settings bearing the rules to traditional games and advice on safe places to play.

3.  Play Fair

The Play Fair project will be the holding of three major play events in the district, one for each year of the portfolio.

 

Main contact:  Paul Smith
Tel:  07967 664287
Email:  PaulSmith@cannockchasedc.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council Sports Development organised an indoor tennis tournament at Kidsgrove Sports Centre on January 23^rd 2008 for the North Staffordshire Special Schools Sports Association.


 

Eight special schools from Newcastle, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent entered teams into the event that has now become a regular feature in the North Staffordshire Special Schools Sport Association sporting calendar.

 

The young people were divided into ranked pairs and had the opportunity to have a brief demonstration session before the games started. Each school had 2 pairs of players playing and teachers assisted with the scoring of matches.

 

Work experience students working alongside Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council staff helped to ensure the smooth running of the event and furthered their knowledge in how a sports tournament is organised.

 

Everyone had a great day, with the standard of play much improved from last year. The winners of the event were Meadows Special School, with the Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme on hand to present the Trophy.

  

For further details, please contact Nicola Robinson on 01782 742607.

 

Youngsters were chilling out at special sport and activity sessions during the half-term holiday in Stafford and Stone.  The five-day event was coordinated by the Leisure Services, Sport Development team at Stafford Borough Council.

The fun events were open to youngsters aged between 13 and 17 years from Monday 11 to Thursday 14 February at Riverside Recreation Centre, and on Friday 15 February at Alleyne’s Sports Centre in Stone – and all activities were free of charge. 

 

Gladiator duel, circus skills and a rodeo bull were just some of the activities on offer, as well as the more traditional sporting and artistic elements. 

“Chillout has proved very popular before and the Sports Development team were keen to build on the success of previous events, continuing to offer activities to cover sports, arts and straight forward fun sessions.  There really was something there for everyone,” said Mike Smith, Cabinet Member for Leisure.

Also on hand were staff and advisors from T3 (offering support & advice on alcohol and drugs related issues) and the Staffordshire Youth Service offering information and confidential advice to anyone looking for support.

 

There was a wide range of activity to keep the teenagers active and all the sessions were led by fully-qualified staff.

  

Other sessions on offer included breakdance, swimming and casualty make-up. There were special ‘Chillout rooms’ where youngsters could meet their friends, listen to music and play on computer consoles.

None of these activities would have been able to take place without funding from the Stafford Borough Community Safety Partnership, or without the support of Staffordshire Youth Service and T3.

 

Anyone who would like more details on the Sports Development team’s sporting programme through out the year, should contact Kath Fenn of Stafford Borough Council Sports Development on 01785 619515 or log-on to the website www.staffordbc.gov.uk/sportsdevelopment for details.

 

For more details, please contact:

Kath Fenn
Community Sports Development Officer
Tel: 01785 619515
Email: kfenn@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you:

• Aged 16-25, have a BME background or are from a refugee migrant community?  
• Do you want to get more involved within the sports sector?  
• Do you want to gain more skills? 

Then you could qualify for the opportunities being offered through the Sporting Equals 'volunteering for communities', project which aims to get more people from these communities involved in volunteering in sport.

 

You will:

• Develop your interpersonal, organisational and communication skills
• You can match a role which meets your personal needs and aspirations
• You will develop competencies in a sports related environment
• You will gain support from a volunteer centre and organisations offering the opportunity
• You will gain work experience which can be put onto your CV
• You will have access to training and development
• You will become a role model for others
• This is an opportunity for you to give something back to the community  
   

Opportunities are being offered through clubs & organisations in your area

Click here to read  the Volunteer Roles for the ‘V’ Project

For further information contact:

Sted Wallen on 0121 7771375 or 07920759775