Sport England update

Sport England Strategy

Funding Sport in the Community. Sport England, January 2009. Download a copy

The Community Investment Fund (CIF) is National Lottery funding available from the nine regions of Sport England. The fund closed to new applications on 6 January 2009.

CIF awards - decisions from January 2009
Following the abolition of the Regional Sports Board on 31 December 2008, responsibility for determining regional awards over £100,000 has transferred to the Sport England Project Committee, a sub committee of the Main Board which meets on a monthly basis.

Applications for £100,000, or less, are determined by the Regional Director.

Sportsmatch – will end March 2009

Remember that the Sportsmatch money is still available – as long as any money can be spent by 31 March 2009.

Awards for All

December awards information

SE - Regional Strategic Lead for West Midlands

Hannah Bladen, currently working in the South East region, has been appointed to lead the WM regional team, commencing 2 Feb 09. This follows Steve Town’s decision not to apply for a post within the new SE structure and to venture into new areas of work.

A short biography of Hannah

Regional structure

The regional structure – with information of people in post and new appointments.

Partners will be made aware of further appointments to the regional team as soon as they are confirmed. The structure sheet will be revised and re-issued accordingly.

Sport England launches Shaping places through sport guides

Sport England has published five themed guides advising local councils on how sport can assist in the delivery of local priorities. This is part of Sport England’s ambition to create sporting opportunities in every community. The Shaping places through sport series details how local authorities and their partners can use sport to build stronger, healthier, sustainable and more prosperous communities. The guides are intended to help local policymakers and practitioners put sport at the heart of their broad range of work in local areas.
More info

A literature review of sexual orientation in sport

In December 2008, Sport England, with the other UK Sports Councils, published a review of sexual orientation in sport. The purpose of this study was to review and critique the literature on sexual orientation in sport and to investigate issues relating to sexual orientation and sports participation.

View an Executive Summary
View the full report.

Sport England research ebulletin

View issue 7, January 2009

DCSF - The Children’s plan – a report

The Children’s Plan One Year On: a progress report – published December 2008.

Download a copy (note the executive summary runs from page 1- 20)

DCSF awards funding to improve life chances of children and young people

The Minister for Children, Young People and Families, Delyth Morgan MP, has announced that over 100 voluntary organisations have been awarded a share of £46 million to fund a range of community initiatives aimed at improving the life chances of children and young people. The funding has been awarded as part of the Children, Young People and Families’ Grants Programme, which is designed to help fund community services such as support for sport and play facilities, young carers, youth homelessness services and relationships and parenting help.
More info

New Opportunities White Paper published

The Prime Minister, Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, alongside the Cabinet Office Minister, Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, has published a White Paper outlining the Government’s policy on social mobility. The White Paper cuts across a range of government departments and includes measures to support individuals, families and disadvantaged communities to reach their full potential. It also acknowledges the important role sport plays in schools in providing an opportunity for young people to develop a skill or in improving educational attainment.
More info

Audit Commission report on sport addressing anti social behaviour

Tired of hanging around: Using sport and leisure activities to prevent anti-social behaviour by young people. Audit Commission, 28 Jan 22009.

Abstract: This study focuses on the role of sport and leisure activities in preventing anti-social behaviour in young people aged 8 to 19 years. These activities are part of the actions that councils and their partners can use to tackle and prevent anti-social behaviour. This study recognises, but does not cover, local agencies' work with families and young children or the role of schools in helping to prevent or address anti-social behaviour.
There has been a suite of tools produced to highlight the reports recommendations; one is a short video summarising the report's key messages and highlights from some of its case studies.

Having taken a look at the video it features/refers to:
General reference to projects in Sandwell
West Bromwich Albion FC

Sports - golf, football and basketball

View the video – at the bottom of the web page

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) – guidance on promoting physical activity for children

The guidance (PH17) on promoting physical activity, active play and sport for all children and young people up to the age of 18 in family, pre-school, school and community settings…………

Information and background to this was Issued in a press release from NICE on 28 January – view the release.

View the ‘Quick reference guide’ to the guidance document (24 pages).

The full guidance document – download (89 pages)

There are 15 recommendations in the main document (pages 10-29).

The guidance (PH17) on promoting physical activity, active play and sport for all children and young people up to the age of 18 in family, pre-school, school and community settings…………

Information and background to this was Issued in a press release from NICE on 28 January – view the release.

View the ‘Quick reference guide’ to the guidance document (24 pages).

The full guidance document – download (89 pages)

There are 15 recommendations in the main document (pages 10-29).

sportscoach UK consulting on their draft Action Plan for management of coaching data

sportscoach UK, as part of a consultation process, is seeking comments and submissions from all partners for the draft Action plan for the management of coaching data in the context of a strategy to support, register and licence coaches

View the information on the sports coach website

Feedback deadline date is Wednesday 28 January 2009 and should be sent to agair@sportscoachuk.org.

Background

Recently Feasibility and pilot studies have been completed on the registration and licensing of coaches and the coaching agency concept. Both of these studies highlight the significance of data management. In addition, work is on-going on the review of Minimum Operating Standards and the creation of a model of Coach Development.

Key issues arising from these studies need to be considered towards the goal of developing a comprehensive system for the recruitment, tracking, deployment, support, qualification, registration and licensing of coaches.

Within the new position statement feedback is requested across the following headings:
1.Context and Key Issues
2.Bullet points:
    o 1-6, in reference to Data Management
    o 7-9, in reference to Deployment
    o 10-12, in reference to Registration and
       Licensing
    o 13-15, in reference to Management
3.Proposed actions

BLF consultation in West Midlands concerning allocation of grants ( part of their ‘BIG Thinking’ consultation)

The West Midlands team of the Big Lottery Fund has held a live consultation event that has enabled the public to express their views on how the Big Lottery Fund’s good cause money should be allocated through its grant funding programmes between 2009 and 2015.
The consultation event, located at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham on 14 January, featured Sir Clive Booth, BIG Lottery Fund UK Chair, addressing the delegates and answering questions throughout the day.
Technology was at the heart of the proceedings, with an interactive system providing those present to instantaneously publish their thoughts, ideas and questions onto a large screen. The many debates that followed were stimulating and useful and have given BIG the opportunity to listen to various West Midlands stakeholders and provide full feedback alongside the other Big thinking consultations across the country.
Many of those who have been awarded lottery funding in the area were present to contribute to the discussions, as well as celebrate that BIG has helped roughly 5,877 projects in the West Midlands, awarding grants totalling over £177,637,395.
Giant lottery balls displaying these figures made entertaining visuals, with various delegates at the event giving a helping hand to raise awareness (and the balls) by posing for photographs.

Big Thinking consultation- runs until the end of February. The responses will be helping to formulate their strategy for fund making for 2009 – 2015.

View the consultation page for more information.

Podium – the FE and He unit for the 2012 Games

Podium produced its first edition of Spotlight Magazine – a compilation of 2012 related showcases from both colleges and universities. Issue 1, ‘Winter 2008’ is a Beijing Games Special.

Please view the edition

Podium newsletter

To view the January edition of the newsletter from the Further and Higher Education Unit for the 2012 Games click here.

Region attracts major UK Athletics event

Once again Birmingham’s NIA is hosting a major athletics event – great for the regional economy.

21 February see the Aviva Grand Prix at the venue – view more details

MJ article of interest – LGA critism

Top county tells LGA: Improve or we leave

Heather Jameson MJ 15 January 2009

One of the country’s top councils has warned the Local Government Association to up its game – or it will withdraw its membership.

The Tory council – which has asked to remain anonymous – has warned that unless the association can act quickly to improve its services to members, it will take back its membership fees to spend on frontline services…………….

Read the full article here.

RFU Appoint Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Director

12 January 2009 – Source RFU

The RFU today announced the appointment of Peter Thomas as RFU Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Director. This is a new position, reporting directly to Francis Baron OBE, RFU Chief Executive, which will head up a new integrated corporate communications and public affairs department within the RFU…………………………….

Read the full press release here.

CCPR CEOs Forum

December 08 issue.

CCPR - EU Update

December Issue: This edition of the European update outlines successful efforts to maintain national sovereignty over sport at the recent Ministers' meeting, and also details forthcoming European studies that span a wide range of members' interests.

CCPR Policy Update

January 2009 edition – This month’s edition is dominated by changes to planning policy which will affect the built, natural and marine environments and therefore impact on all CCPR members. Changes to lottery and skills funding are also afoot, and members may wish to ensure they are fully aware of these.

Take a look:

GOWM Bulletin

Latest edition of ‘In the Know’.

2012 – public attitude towards the Games – DCMS report

Information received from GOWM:

The headlines of the latest research commissioned by DCMS regarding public attitudes towards the Games across the UK.

View the whole report

In brief, the West Midlands emerges as the region where there has been the highest increase in levels of support for the Games over the past year, and we’re now seeing levels of support for the Games considerably higher than in most other regions/nations:

Interest in the Games generally in the WM is up 16% to 76% (the largest increase of any region);
Enthusiasm for London hosting the Games in the WM up 10% to 81% (the highest % of any English region outside London);
Knowledge of current plans for the Games ion the WM up 17% to 44% (by far the largest increase of any region/nation, and now the highest region/nation outside the South east/London).

In addition awareness of the Cultural Olympiad has seen the greatest increase of any part of the Government’s aims, up 10% to 25% (admittedly from a low base).

There is a slight caveat to this – the total UK sample size was 2,109, which would suggest around 200 interviews in this region on the basis of population distribution. The sampling error on a sample of this size is therefore likely to be greater than the usual +/-3%, but the consistency of the increases in the WM would suggest that the results are broadly reliable.

The research fieldwork was undertaken 25 Sept – 1 Oct 2008, and therefore came swiftly on the heels of the handovers and concurrently with the open weekend. This research suggests that those events had considerable impact in the region rising awareness and generating support, especially in the West Midlands.

2012 Calendar

Latest edition.

Team GB 2008: Countdown to 2012

The British Olympic Association’s (BOA) publication ‘Team GB 2008: Countdown to 2012’ charts the annual progress of each summer and winter Olympic sport and other useful information such as:

2008-2009 funding figures;
athletes to watch by sport;
key events in 2009;
2008 medal table by sport;
statement by each sport’s Chief Executive (or equivalent) looking back at 2008 and challenges to come in 2009;
sport’s contact details.

Click here and download parts 1 and 2 of the publication free of charge.

Key sporting events spreadsheet

By no means covering all key events in the WM, but it is a record of some significant ones - take a look

Update on the ‘Free Swimming’ initiative

The Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP, has announced that 82% of local authorities in England have signed up to take part in the £140 million Government ‘Free Swimming’ scheme. The initiative is a key part of plans to leave a lasting legacy from London 2012, giving people up and down the country more opportunities to get active. In total, 292 councils (82%) are to offer free swimming to the over 60’s, while 211 (60%) will open their pools for free to both the over 60’s and those aged 16 and under..
More info

Tax break scheme for sports clubs signs up 5,000th member

Sports Minister, Gerry Sutcliffe MP, and Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Timms MP, have said that over 40,000 amateur sports clubs are missing out on a collective £100 million a year of tax savings. They want more clubs to register with the Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) scheme to help drive a sporting legacy from 2012. The rallying cry comes as the Kegworth Imps Junior Football Club in Derby became the 5,000th club to register with the CASC scheme, joining others in benefitting from almost £50 million worth of tax savings in six years.
More info

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