County Sports Partnership Update

Executive Board Meeting
 

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

2008/2009 Delivery Plan and Budget
Financial report to end of December 2007
Quarterly Performance Indicators
Constitution
Update on progress to Jan 08
Grant Aid and CIF update
School Club Links Project Funding
Year 6 Survey Results
Update on National Initiatives
Review of Sport in England

The Board will be making some key decisions in terms of the 2008/09 Delivery Plan and Budget. The reports also give some details of exciting new initiatives that will be coming on line in the next few months, for example, Playground to Podium, extending activity for young people, NGB club and coach programme and competition managers.

The Board will also be considering the Sport England’s review on developing a world leading community sport development infrastructure.

Facility Managers’ Forum
 

The inaugural meeting of the Facilities Managers' Forum was well received. A small sub group has now met to develop terms of reference for the group and these will be presented to the Forum on 15 February 2008.

The purpose of the Forum is: 

1. The Forum will enable Facility Managers to identify, discuss, propose and influence the development of all aspects of leisure and culture with particular focus on facility provision and management.
2. To provide a dynamic interface of Leisure Facility professionals in Staffordshire
3. To share relevant good practice and emerging initiatives
4. To encourage partnership working 
5. To identify countywide action points as appropriate

For more information contact:

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

Stoke-on-Trent Sports Summit – “Check & Challenge” Follow-Up

Following the successful Summit held last July, key Partners from across the City are reconvening, at Port Vale Football Club on Friday 1^st February 2008, to hear an update on progress to-date in implementing the action plan from the original Summit. The action plan was developed to produce a coordinated approach to increase participation in sport and active recreation and help raise Stoke-on-Trent's national and international profile.

The Summit will be chaired by Rauf Mirza, Chair, West Midlands Regional Sports Board, who was instrumental in orchestrating the original Summit.

Executive Board Champion Focus

Carl was key to establishing the Northwest Health and Physical Activity Forum, some 10 years ago, where he held the position of Chairperson through a period of significant change and upon arrival in the West Midlands, 4 years ago, championed and supported the establishment of the Physical Activity Network West Midlands following on from his involvement in the Regional Plan for Sport consultation process. 
 

He was the only health representative during the Henley Centre review of sport in England. The Henley Centre review culminated in the production of the National Framework for Sport. 

Carl has answered three questions put to him by an NGB officer, a Sports Development Officer and a SASSOT team member as follows:
   

1. What benefits do you believe the CSP has brought to the local sporting landscape during your time a Board Member?

The CSP has brought significant benefits to the sporting landscape across Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent. The key benefits I have identified include:

• Aligned and agreed direction of travel from within the various partners / stakeholders who the work of the CSP impacts upon and supports.
• Cross-sectoral working and influence.
• Wider understanding and awareness raising of the benefits associated with active recreation and sports participation.
• The Workforce Development Plan will add a significant layer to the provision of active recreation and sport, ensuring we have competent and well-qualified active recreation and sports leaders for the future.
• Finally, and most importantly, active recreation and sport have a central hub where leadership, support and best practice can be accessed easily.  

2. The government has launched a £372m strategy to help cut obesity in England. The NHS will play a key role in the project, which will see creation of 'healthy towns'. From a PCT perspective, how you see the role of sport and active recreation in helping to achieve the target of reversing the trend in rising obesity levels?

The very recent announcement of the £372 million Obesity Strategy for England should have a wide and varied impact across a diverse, but joined up, range of approaches to impact on the obesity challenge we face in England. We need to look at what has been announced and identify opportunities where active recreation and sport can play a role in supporting the proposed approaches. The approaches suggested include: 

• £75 million marketing campaign to persuade parents to improve their children’s diet and physical activity
• A code of practice to be agreed with the food and drink industry
• £30 million invested in ‘Healthy Towns’ to encourage walking, cycling and other activities
• Increased funding over three years for personalised weight-loss programmes and competitions in workplaces and communities.
• Cookery lessons compulsory in all secondary schools by 2011
• Ofcom to bring forward a review into junk-food advertising to children 

It is my belief that active recreation and sport can play a role in this agenda. But, what we need to do is realistically appraise what it is we do, how we engage new participants and begin to understand the wider needs of those that fail to engage with us. We then need to identify how ‘we’ can change to meet and support the needs of non-traditional participants so that we can provide an attractive offer to them that will help them to participate over the long term. We really need to provide long term solutions that recognise the long term and chronic nature of the obesity challenge we face. 

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?
 

My one ‘Wish’ to impact on participation in active recreation / sport would be:

Recognition for the added value that a ‘Physical Activity Continuum’ approach would bring to the identification of and support for those willing to move along the continuum and progress to more formalised sport participation / provision. This can only happen when we have well managed club structures that recognise ‘their’ social value in addressing and supporting wider social / local agendas. The skills and education of those that ‘deliver’ sport requires updating so that they have a rounded appreciation and knowledge of the power of sport and how this can be harnessed to address wider social issues.  

You can contact Carl 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 Duncan Mather, SASSOT's Equity and Facilities Champion. If you would like to ask Duncan a question contact Jason Britton by 22 February on 01785 619599 or email jbritton@staffordbc.gov.uk

Upcoming Workshops