Youth Games to take place in 2008

Thanks to funding committed by the Local Authorities across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, SASSOT are able to confirm that a Partnership Youth Games will take place in summer 2008.

This one-day, multi-sport event last took place in 2005, when funding for the Active Sports programme drew to a close.  However, due to the popularity of the event and requests from Partners, SASSOT have been working over the past few months to secure the necessary funding to commit to running the event in 2008.  The annual Special Schools Sports Festival will also take place next summer as a separate event, but with close links to the Youth Games.

Dates, venues, sports etc. have yet to be confirmed but further details will follow shortly.

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

 

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Sport England’s Market Segmentation - Are You a Ben or a Tim, an Alison or a Paula?

Building upon the data from its Active People Survey, Sport England - in conjunction with Experian Business Strategies, has worked to analyse data on the English population (18+), producing 19 market segments with distinct sporting behaviours and attitudes. This includes information on specific sports people take part in as well as why people do sport, whether they want to do sport and the barriers to doing more sport. In addition, the segments provide information on media consumption and communication channels, social capital, health indicators including obesity and engagement in the wider cultural sphere.

The power of these sporting segments lies not only in their ability to help us better understand the characteristics of our potential market but also to explore the market base at differing geographic levels. It is possible to analyse the market in a particular street, community, local authority or regions.

For an introductory guide to Sport England's segmentation and an overview of the 19 segments, see the links below.

An introduction to Sport England market segmentation

An Overview of the 19 segments

SASSOT are currently distributing local segmentation overviews to its partners and more information can be obtained from Jason Britton on 01785 619599 or jbritton@staffordbc.gov.uk

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SEWM Regional Sports Board Chair and Director visit SASSOT

Rauf Mirza, SEWM Regional Sports Board Chair and Steve Town, SEWM Director visited SASSOT's offices, on Monday 15 October, to congratulate the team on winning Sport England West Midlands' County Sports Partnership 2006/2007 Recognition Award for Annual Achievements.

Pictured left to right: Jane Kracke, Michelle Adams, Steve Town, Rauf Mirza, Laurence O'Neill, Wendy Anderson, Mark Thornewill, Leigh Morton and Jason Britton

Laurence O'Neill, Chair of SASSOT, received the trophy and cheque for £5,000 for delivery of a programme, to be agreed with Sport England, to increase participation in Sport and Active Recreation in the sub-region of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

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

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SASSOT Receives Equity Award

SASSOT was delighted to achieve the Preliminary Level of the Equality Standard - A Framework for Sport Accreditation.

Pictured: Centre Sandra Roden, Head of Delivery at SEWM presents the award to Sue Finnigan, Vice-Chair Executive Board.
Background: Executive Board Members

The award was presented at the SASSOT Executive Board meeting on 29 October 2007 by Sandra Roden, Head of Delivery, Sport England West Midlands to Sue Finnigan, Vice-Chair.

Partnership Director, Mark Thornewill commented: "The work of the Equity Group has been key to the Partnership achieving the standard and I want to say congratulations and a big thank you for their hard work and support of the Partnership. Delivery of our Equity Action Plan, Access Across Staffordshire, is a priority target for the Partnership and I look forward to our continued working relationship to implement the plan in order to widen access to sport and active recreation."

The award recognises the work that the Partnership has implemented to widen access and increase participation and involvement in sport and active recreation from under-represented groups and communities.

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

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SASSOT Awards £4,000 to Equity Projects

SASSOT is pleased to announce that it has committed £4,000 to eight equity-based sports projects across the sub-region. The projects, which will each receive £500 towards their delivery, focus upon improving accessibility to sport and active recreation within Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent for under-represented groups.

A further £1,000 will be made available to support similar projects when the next round of applications are encouraged – closing date 4^th February 2008.

For more details or contact Jason Britton on 01785 619599 or jbritton@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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Diversity in Action Conference

Thurs 29 Nov 07

11.30am-4.30pm

Quality Hotel

Stoke-on-Trent

Is your Organisation Diversity Action oriented? This conference is an opportunity for you to become up to date on the latest thinking and practice of Diversity.

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Click here to read the Equality Standard For Sport Newsletter - October 2007 (31st Edition).

Click here to read Mencap's newsletter.

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Cannock’s Chase It Project proves the ‘Power of Sport’
 

Cannock Chase District Council’s ‘Chase It’ project has been submitted by the CSP to represent the SASSOT sub-region at the BBC Midlands Sports Awards in December.

The Power of Sport Award is being sponsored by Sport England West Midlands and is being delivered through the BBC in the region at its prestigious sports award event.

The award will be made to a project or initiative that has made a real impact on a community using sport or active recreation as a means of achieving its aims. The essential element is that there has been a recognisable difference made to people in the local community.

In total, six projects were nominated via our CSN network, each worthy of commendation in their own right, but the judging panel - which consisted of members of the Partnership’s Core Team and Executive Board – decided that the Chase It project should progress to the December 2^nd event.

For more information contact:
Jason Britton 
Tel: 01785 619599 
Email: jbritton@staffordbc.gov.uk

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Draft Delivery Plan 2008/2009

The Executive Board approved the draft delivery plan at its meeting on 29 October 2007.

The plan will now be subject to a wide consultation process with Partners.

The draft plan will be circulated to Partners in the near future for comment. The consultation process will run to 14 December 2007 and the final draft plan will be presented to the Executive Board at its next meeting on 30 January 2008.

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

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Executive Board meeting at Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council - 29 Oct 2007

Board members were welcomed to Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council by their Chief Executive Officer, Mark Barrow. Mark opened the meeting by giving a presentation on the proposed Newcastle Sports Village - a £15million investment for sport and the wider agenda, involving a range of key Partners.

This project will have sub regional significance and is an excellent example on how sport can make a positive contribution across a wide range of themes.

For more information contact: Sue Finnigan, Interim Leisure & Cultural Services Manager, t: 01782 742636 or email sue.finnigan@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk

 

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SASSOT Annual Report - Apr 06 to Mar 07

The Executive Board approved the draft Annual Report for 2006/2007 at its Board Meeting on 29 October.

The report is the first annual report since becoming a fully-fledged County Sports Partnership, lists many achievements and is testimony to the benefits of partnership working.

Click here to view/download. (PDF 404kb)

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

 

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Two new Community Sports Networks

Congratulations to South Staffordshire District Community Sports Network and Cannock Chase District Community Sports and Play Network. Both of these networks met for the first time at the beginning of October to agree terms of reference and an action plan.  This brings the total Community Sports Networks in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent up to six.  

South Staffordshire District Community Sports Network

South Staffordshire Community Sports Network held their first meeting on the 1^st October 2007. There was excellent attendance and commitment towards the Network from a broad range of organisations to represent the local community. This network is being chaired by Katie White (Cultural Services Manager, South Staffordshire District Council). The network have agreed to review their terms of reference for sign off at the next meeting. They are also in the process of undertaking a mapping exercise to establish what sporting and active recreational activities are currently being provided by all local partners to help inform their up and coming delivery plan. This delivery plan will focus on increasing participation in sport and active recreation across South Staffordshire.


Cannock Chase Community Sport and Play Network

Cannock Chase Community Sport and Play Network held their first meeting on the 4^th October 2007. There was excellent attendance and commitment towards the Network and joining the sport and active recreation agenda with that of Play. Terms of reference were introduced for review and sign off at the next meeting on 30th January 2008. In addition to this an action plan was agreed to complete a mapping exercise of what sporting and active recreation opportunities are currently being provided within the District to inform the development of their delivery plan in the New Year. 

 

For more information on any of the Community sports Networks within Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent please contact: -

Wendy Anderson
Active Recreation Manager
Tel: 01785 619695
Email wanderson@staffordbc.gov.uk

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SASSOT safeguarding work endorsed by Staffordshire Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB)

Following our success in attaining the Intermediate Level of the National Safeguards in Sport Standards, we having been working with the Local Safeguarding Childrens Board (LSCB) to get a mandate to roll out the Standards with our local authority partners.  To this end, the Director and Workforce Officer recently presented a proposal to the LSCB to set up a working group linked to the LSCB to undertake this work. The proposal was endorsed by the LSCB and we are now working to establish the working group and engage the local authorities in this work.

 

The initial priority for the sports sub group is to undertake an audit of current safeguarding provision amongst local authority leisure services departments. Once this is complete the sports sub group will work with local authorities to implement the National Safeguards in Sport Standards within their leisure service departments. The proposed membership of the group is outlined below.

LSCB Sports Sub Group Membership:

SASSOT Workforce Officer  - Ben Hollands
SASSOT Executive Board Champions - Andy Weston (NGB) and Maureen Compton (Local Authorities)
LSCB representative - Neil Jenkinson (Local Authorities)
Local Authrotity HR TBC
Local Authority facilities rep TBC
Child Protection in Sport Unit – Nic Slinn

For more information please contact:

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

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Opportunity to join the SASSOT Coaches Database

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

The database will "go live" in December 2007, however we would like to invite coaches to apply as soon as possible. Coaches who do not meet all of the criteria are still encouraged to apply, so that we can help them work towards registration.

We have applied to the Community Investment Fund for Workforce Development funding and, if successful, these resources will be targeted towards coaches registered on the database, or working towards registration. Registered coaches will also qualify for a discount at events such as the Staffordshire Conference

For further details and link to an application form, please click here.

For more information please contact:

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

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Upcoming Workshops

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

We are pleased to be able offer the first opportunity to attend a brand new sports coach UK workshop - Managing Behaviour in Sport, which is due to be rolled out next year.  This workshop aims to increase awareness of the behaviour of young people, helping coaches to create a supportive coaching environment that will promote positive behaviour and find appropriate solutions to deal with challenging behaviour.

This tutor orientation exercise, will be run at Riverside Sports Centre, Stafford on Tuesday 4th December 2007, 1.30pm - 4.30pm.  Coaches are offered a reduced rate of £10 each and will receive a sports coach UK certificate.

We continue to deliver regular workshops such as Safeguarding & Protecting Children, Equity in your Coaching, A Club for All and First Aid, and we are introducing new workshops such Coach Development in Disadvantaged Communities.  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 Elaine and she will help you find alternatives.

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

For more information on the above please contact:
Elaine Loader
Tel: 01785 619695
Email: eloader@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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Sporting Champions - visits still available

Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent topped the National charts for the most Sporting Champion visits for the period July-Sept 07 beating Greater Sport - Greater Manchester and Durham Sport.  A total of 8 Champions visited our area, and as well as joining in with the event, they motivated the young people with tales of their own experiences and promoted the benefits of sport and physical activity.

So let's keep them coming...  If you feel the young people at your organisation would benefit from a visit from a world-class athlete and are running an event which centres on increasing participation in community sport, school & club links or leadership & volunteering, we want to know about it!

To find out more visit www.sportingchampions.org.uk.

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

This is a fantastic opportunity - don't miss it!!

For more information contact:
Leigh Morton 
Tel: 01785 619349 
Email: lmorton@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

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Kellogg’s Active Living Fund

Kellogg’s has launched its Active Living Fund - a programme to provide financial help to individuals and groups involved in making physical activity more affordable and more practical for members of their community. If you’re part of a local sporting or fitness organisation, why not see if you qualify for a grant?

The fund will give small grants to fund projects and activities that directly lead to people taking part in sustained physical activity. The aim of the fund is to help remove the “barriers” which stop people being active. Click here for more details on this and other funding streams.

For more information contact:
Jason Britton 
Tel: 01785 619599 
Email: jbritton@staffordbc.gov.uk

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Tamworth CVS's Funders Fair 2007

To be held on Tuesday 4th December, 11am-3pm at Tamworth Assembly Rooms. 

Come and meet the experts who know where the funds are and how you can get them!

Funding exhibitors may include:

The Big Lottery Fund Awards for All Comic Relief The Heritage Lottery Fund Children in Need

Staffordshire Environmental Fund Lloyds TSB Foundation The Rawlett Trust Tamworth Borough Council

Plus many more…..

It is a FREE drop-in event and an excellent opportunity to gather information and network with other groups.

For more information contact:
Tamworth Council for Voluntary Service
Carnegie Centre
Corporation Street
Tamworth
Staffs
Tel: 01827 709657
Email: enquiries@tamworth-cvs.org.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 developments

A printer friendly version of our 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

The Pre Budget Report And The Comprehensive Spending Review

The 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), essentially the government's main tool for deciding how much money will go into schools, hospitals and other public services for the next three years: 2008 -11 was announced last week on the 9^th October  in the House of Commons.

Overall, total Departmental spending will increase from £349 billion this year to £397 billion by 2010. Total public spending over the CSR07 period will rise by an average of 2.1 per cent a year in real terms with current spending increasing by an average of 1.9 per cent per year in real terms.

The key headlines include: further investment of £19 billion by 2010-11 in the NHS; investing £3.6 billion in the construction costs of the Olympics over the CSR07 period, while the Government is attempting to drive better value for money by delivering efficiency savings of £30 billion a year, and releasing £30 billion from fixed asset disposals.

The Chancellor stated: “The budget for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will increase to £2.2 billion in three years time. This guarantees an inflation increase for the arts, free access to museums and galleries, extra for sport so that every child and young person can take part in five hours of sport a week.  And it will deliver the Cultural Olympiad in the run up to London 2012.”

As well as announcing the outcomes of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the Chancellor has also published details of the new Public Service Agreement (PSAs).  There are no stand alone sport participation PSAs.  However sport is featured in a number of other PSAs and their associated indicators. The School Sport and PE target has been combined with the Olympic Games PSA (PSA Number 22).  The PSA title reads “Deliver a successful Olympic Games and Paralympic Games with a sustainable legacy and get more children and young people taking part in high quality PE and Sport”. 

Below the PSA title there are five priority indicators, three of which impact on Sport England.

Priority 1 – Construction of the Olympic Park and other Olympic venues.  Sport England is investing in the Aquatic Centre and the Velodrome.  

Priority 4 – Public participation in cultural and community activities across the UK and Participation in sporting activities both in the UK and in other countries, particularly those in development.  This seeks to promote sports participation by children, young people and adults, but with a focus on young people. 

Priority 5 – Creation of a world-class system for physical education and sport.  This covers what was the stand alone PE and School Sport target.  Again Sport England will help deliver this priority.

In addition to PSA 22 sport features in four other Agreements and priority indicators:

 
Sport is highlighted in PSA 12 “Improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people”.  Sport and physical activity clearly have an important role to play in delivering this target.  The target absorbs what was the stand alone obesity target which becomes priority 3 within the PSA. The delivery agreement states – within the section on priority 3 (obesity) that, “Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust will develop opportunities to increase participation of children in physical education and school sport”.

Sport is also mentioned in PSA 14:"Increase the number of children and young people on the path to success" particularly under indicator 2: More Participation in Positive Activities.

Although sport is not explicitly mentioned in the justification, this Indicator is one which Sport England has been working closely with DCSF in the context of the Every Child Matters, Youth Matters and Statutory Guidance to Local Authorities agenda to provide positive activities for all young people, which include sport and other active recreational activities. The Statutory Duty, covers 13- 19 year olds (and up to 25 year olds with additional learning needs).

The measurement of this Indicator will use the Client Caseload Information System used by Connexions Services and the proposed new question for inclusion in 2008/9 makes specific reference to taking part "in an organised sporting activity e.g. sports club or class" as one of the positive activities (see page 27 of the Delivery Agreement for further details on this).

This will be an important PSA for the sport sector to use to promote the position of sport within the overall "positive activities" agenda at Local Authority Children’s Services level. We will shortly be publishing a Non-statutory Guidance Note on this to promote further the inclusion of sport in positive activities for young people.

Sport’s contribution is also recognised within PSA 21 “Build more cohesive, empowered and active communities”.  This target has six indicators which will be used to measure success.  The sixth indicator measures “The percentage of people who participate in culture or sport”.  The delivery agreement states that, “DCMS will continue to invest in and work through its NDPBs (including Sport England, Arts Council England, English Heritage, the Museums Libraries and Archives Council) to help create more cohesive and active communities by increasing cultural and sporting opportunities for people of all backgrounds to mix in a safe environment.”  The delivery agreement also states that DCMS will, “invest in the essential infrastructure and people, including volunteers, to deliver excellent cultural and sporting opportunities” and “maintain a focus for the department and its partners on narrowing gaps in participation between different groups, working throughout the country to raise the level of activity of these with lower rates of participation”.

We are also recognised in the  PSA 20 ‘increase long term housing supply and affordability’. Sport England is mentioned in regards to our role as a statutory planning consultee and can play an advisory role on sport and active recreation in relation to housing.     

 

The New Performance Framework for Local Authorities & Local Authority Partnerships – a single set of National Indicators

In addition to the CSR announcement a new national single set of indicators for local authorities and local authority partnerships was published on the 10^th October.

In the 2006 Local Government White Paper Strong and Prosperous Communities the Government, as part of its commitment to give local government greater flexibility to set priorities and discretion in meeting them, agreed to a reduction of the indicators against which local government performance was assessed. 

The number of national indicators has been reduced; from the 1200 that local authorities and their partners report on at present, to 198, representing what Government believes should be the national priorities for local government, working alone or in partnership, over the next three years.

The national indicator set will be the only measures on which central government will performance manage outcomes delivered by local government, working alone or in partnerships. The new Local Area Agreements (LAA) will include up to 35 targets from among the national indicators, plus 17 statutory targets on educational attainment and early years.  

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PESSCL latest survey results announced on 15 October

The fourth annual School Sport Survey, released today, has again highlighted the outstanding work in PE and school sport up and down the country. Click here to view the press release from YST.

Click here to view the Government's press release.

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DCMS organisational chart

Click here to view the chart to help you understand the DCMS.

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Next Phase of the Active People Survey

You may recall the headlines from Sport England’s Active People Survey on the 7 December 2007, when it was announced that:

‘The people of the West Midlands region are among the most inactive in the country, according to the results of a major nationwide survey released today by Sport England.

More than half of people aged 16 or over in the West Midlands, some 53.8%, do not take part in sport or active recreation, compared to 50.6% nationally. But Sport England’s Active People Survey shows that 69.1% of adults (aged 16 and over) in the West Midlands are satisfied with the sports provision in their local area, in line with the 69.5% national figure.’

On 15 October 2007, Sport England’s researchers started to phone people in the region again as part of the next phase of the Active People Survey. We now know the level of activity we are measuring the people of the West Midlands against, these are from the results obtained October 2005 – October 2006, and we want to see if there has been an improvement. We will be getting the first set of results as early as December 2007; updates on this second stage on the survey will be placed on the Sport England website².

As with the original survey, a larger number of Birmingham residents will receive calls to reflect that they live in the largest local authority area in the country. On average there will be 500 residents surveyed per local authority area in the region each year from 2007 – 2010; however 5,000 Birmingham residents will be called over the period.

Working with our 6 County Sports Partnerships and constituent partners, we have identified key projects that will help us get people more active through sport and active recreation. Local authorities like Stoke-on-Trent City Council, have taken on board the results of the survey and agreed joint action plans across key partners in their area; pledging to make a real difference to the activity levels of their residents with all the resulting benefits for health and community cohesion.

We have made available investment funding of £8m to co-fund over 200 projects across the region that will tackle inactivity. The projects have been identified locally and have been recognised as being able to make a significant difference to the levels of activity in their community setting.  We will be sharing the news around these projects as they come on stream.

Steve Town, Regional Director, Sport England, said,

“Since the release of the figures from the Active People survey last December, there has been a lot of soul searching by sports providers in the region and a real conviction to turn this situation around. I think it shocked many people to see that we were the least active region in England.

“All initiatives are measured against how they will help people become more active and help the region meet its target of getting nearly 200,000 more people active in the West Midlands by 2012.  By close partnership working, using the Delivery System for Sport, we can increase the activity levels in the region. The measure of this increase is the Active People Survey, so I welcome this second phase”.

Detailed analysis has taken place over the last few months of all the data obtained from the first survey in 2005 - 2006, resulting in some really useful marketing material being developed for sports providers to use. Using the survey results and information from a market research database, case studies and people profiles have been produced. Sport England’s market segmentation information provides people working in community sport with an insight into behaviours, barriers and motivations to taking part in sport amongst people already involved in sport and the people we want to attract to take up sport and active recreation. All this is available on Sport England's website: click here.

 

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Sport England Research Bulletin

First Issue, September 2007 - click here to view.

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Sport England appoints Commercial Director

Sport England has appointed Thomas Godfrey as its first ever Commercial Director - tasking him with securing partnership funding from the private sector for community sport.

Click here for more information.

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Awards for All announcements - September 2007

Click here for all information received re the awards.

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Comprehensive Spending Review Oct 2007

Click here to read the brief from SE re the announcements on Tuesday 9 October.

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New design guidance from Sport England

There updates to the ‘Design Guidance’ section of the Sport England website.

Main changes are:

New ‘Designing for Sport on School Sites’ DGN (this will also be linked to the BSF section of the website shortly)

New Database of Design and Technical information available from NGB’s (spreadsheet using hyperlinks)

Updated ‘Floors for Indoor Sports’ Design Guidance Note (to reflect new legislation)

New ‘Environmental Sustainability’ Design Guidance Note (a short guide in lieu of a more complete guide next year)

Updated ‘Comparative Sizes - Pitches and Courts’ DGN

There are also new autumn editions of the Design Guidance Newsletter and FAQ’s.

Click here to link to Sport England's website to view the above.

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Sunday Times Sports Women of the Year 2007

Sport England, CCPR, UK Sport and WSF have teamed up to support the Sunday Times Sports Women of the Year.

We would like partners to know about it and help promote the nomination and voting. Click here to find out more. The event takes place in London on 20 November 2007.

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Lifting the Burdens Task Force: Review of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport - Published

The Lifting the Burdens Task Force was announced in July 2006 by the Rt Hon Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The Task Force is an independent practitioner body that has been set up to review the bureaucratic and performance management burdens that exist as a consequence of the current relationship between Central and Local Government. 

The Lifting the Burdens Task Force is pleased to announce the publication of its latest report, a review of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The review was led by Shropshire County Council Chief Executive Carolyn Downs together with South Tyneside Chief Executive Irene Lucas and particularly highlights a need for DCMS to better co-ordinate the work of its Non Departmental Public Bodies.

The investigation examines whether demands from the government department put an additional burden on councils and reveals that while DCMS has not developed "an excessively burdensome regime" over the years, more co-ordination at a national and regional level would help local authorities and prevent the system from becoming a big burden in the future. The report provides a series of recommendations on streamlining performance measurement and improvement, the new licensing regime and asks government departments to work together to reduce the barriers to volunteering.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to the review by providing evidence of burdens and taking part in the dialogue with DCMS. This is the third departmental review that the Task Force has produced, all of which can be viewed at the above web address. We also welcome your input to our current work which includes reviews of the Home Office, Department of Health, Children and Young People's Services and HM Treasury.

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Foresight review of Obesity

Speech by the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, statement to the house on the foresight review of obesity, 17 October 2007 - to view click here

Click here to view Derek Mapp's, Chair SE response.

Conservative's statement - The Government's record on obesity. Click here to view.

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House of Commons

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) from which areas the 10,000 voluntary community sports coaches, announced on 24 September, will be recruited; [156280]

The following question was answered on 09 October 2007. Contents

(2) when he expects the 10,000 voluntary community sports coaches, announced on 24 September, to (a) be recruited and (b) begin their coaching activities; and what steps his Department plans to take to (i) encourage, (ii) monitor and (iii) audit and account for progress with this initiative; [156281]

(3) which national governing bodies will be responsible for recruiting the 10,000 voluntary community sports coaches announced on 24 September; how much each such body will receive; how much of the £5 million announced for the initiative will be allocated to (a) Sports Coach UK and (b) Sport England; and when the funding will be made available to each responsible body. [156282]

James Purnell: We are working on detailed plans with Sport England, Youth Sport Trust and sports coach UK to start the recruitment of 10,000 volunteer sports coaches from April 2008, in the most deprived areas.

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House of Commons

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) from which areas the 10,000 voluntary community sports coaches, announced on 24 September, will be recruited; [156280]

The following question was answered on 09 October 2007.

Contents
(2) when he expects the 10,000 voluntary community sports coaches, announced on 24 September, to (a) be recruited and (b) begin their coaching activities; and what steps his Department plans to take to (i) encourage, (ii) monitor and (iii) audit and account for progress with this initiative; [156281]

(3) which national governing bodies will be responsible for recruiting the 10,000 voluntary community sports coaches announced on 24 September; how much each such body will receive; how much of the £5 million announced for the initiative will be allocated to (a) Sports Coach UK and (b) Sport England; and when the funding will be made available to each responsible body. [156282]

James Purnell: We are working on detailed plans with Sport England, Youth Sport Trust and sports coach UK to start the recruitment of 10,000 volunteer sports coaches from April 2008, in the most deprived areas.

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Hunt - Talented Athlete Programme Funding

Wed, 24 Oct 07 |House of Commons - Written Answer

Contents

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people received funding from the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme in each year in which it has been running; and how much was allocated under the Scheme in each year. [159703]

James Purnell: The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) was introduced in 2004. Details of the number of athletes it has supported and the level of funding are as follows:

	Awards given	Funding (£ million)	Level of awards (£)
2004-05	920	3	1,500 or 3,000
2005-06	1,233	4	1,500, 3,000 or 10,000
2006-07	1,090	5	3,000 or 10,000

So far this year, more than 600 awards have been given.

In total, 2,714 athletes have received a TASS award during its first three years (as some athletes have received more than one annual award).

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Committee of Public Accounts Select Committee Press Notice - 23 October 2007 HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND Publication of 54th Report of Session 2006-07

Extract:

The money available to support heritage projects will be sharply cut between 2009 and 2012, as a direct result of the Government diverting more than £160 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help pay for the Olympic Games. The Fund will have to work hard to make ends meet.

Full release - click here

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Secretary of State- tackling obesity speech

Ed Balls states tackling of obesity and promotion of exercise 'essential' to reducing achievement gap

Mon, 15 October 07 | Ministerial Speech - click here to view.

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DoH - Dawn Primarolo launches physical activity pilot scheme - 11 October

Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo, has today launched a new physical activity pilot, in partnership with Natural England and NHS London, to encourage those adults who lead inactive lives to take up a more healthier lifestyle.

Click here to view the full press release.

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Department of Health - Health profile of England 2007

First published in 2006, the Health Profile of England provides a collation of national and regional data to provide a baseline against which people can compare data from their own Local Health Profile (LHP). The 2007 report updates tables showing regional comparisons and national trends for indicators presented in LHP, as well as a wide ranging snapshot of public health and well-being in England and a section on international comparisons.

Click here to view the report on the DOH site

Extract from the site with key facts - click here 

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GOWM ‘In the know’ bulletin

Fourth edition of quaterly bulletin, September 2007 - click here to view.

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Sport England Annual Open Meeting, 13 November, Wembley Stadium

Date: Tuesday 13 November 2007
Event Theme: A Celebration of Community Sport
Venue: Royal Suite - Wembley Stadium

To read more details click here.

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Voluntary Sector Marketing Conference - from branding to buzz - 12 November 2007 - London, N1
Supported by ClickNow.

The conference will explore key topics such as:

Successful Direct Marketing
The power of word-of-mouth/ ‘buzz’ marketing
How to get your website and e-communications noticed
Strengthening your brand through partnership
…and more!

You will leave the conference with a wealth of new ideas that will help you to build a stronger marketing function.

Booking is easy -  call Claire on 020 7520 2447.

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Women’s Sports Foundation UK - ‘Raising the Game: the future for women’s sport’ 15 November 2007

Conference on 15 November at the Emirates Stadium, London. 

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2012 Activity Calendar

Click here for the latest version.

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Closing the Gap

This Active England supported project in Stoke has issued a interesting newsletter. Click here to view.

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Another key England Women’s international football in our region - Shrewsbury Town to be the hosts

Following the successful staging of a number of matches Shrewsbury Town’s 9,875 capacities New Stadium will host England’s UEFA 2009 European Women’s Championship qualifier England vs against Spain on Sunday 25 November. Kick off will be at 6pm. For more information click here.

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Sport Relief 2008

They are appealing for event organiasers - read on:

‘For the 2008 campaign, Sport Relief wants to create new and challenging mile events up and down the UK to help raise even more money.

Which is where you can help. We’re looking for really motivated people with the right skills to work with us and organise Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Miles in their local communities.’

To read the full news item click here.

 

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Black Country Urban Park in last 4 for BIG £50m!

Press release 23 October 2007:
‘Big Lottery Fund today unveiled the final shortlist for the People’s £50 Million Lottery contest. The contest will see a project of national importance win a one-off award of £50 million chosen by public vote - the largest Lottery good cause funding to be awarded in this way. ….’

Read the full release with information on the Black Country Urban Park: click here

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Job Vacancy - 2012 Co-ordinator for STW

Energize Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin
Shropshire Telford & Wrekin 2012 Co-ordinator - 1 year fixed term contract (with a view to extend subject to available funding)

Click here to view the job advert. Closing date 16 November 2007.

 

The Partnership is very pleased to welcome our new Club & PESSCL Development Officer, Chris Turner. Chris held the post of Partnership Services Officer for the Black Country Consortium Ltd where he was the strategic lead for Club and Volunteer development throughout the sub-region.

Prior to this Chris has worked in football development for the Football Association and Major League Soccer based in America and is a graduate of Liverpool University where he undertook a BSc Health and Physical Recreation degree.

Chris said ” I’m really looking forward to be joining the West Midlands CSP of the Year and providing the guidance and support needed by sports clubs and volunteers which will contribute to our overall aim of increasing sports participation by 1% year on year.”

His first priorities in his new post will be to revise the current Club Development Strategy including the roll-out of the Generic Clubmark, implement the 07/08 Step into Sport program, develop strong links with the Voluntary Sector and oversee the organisation of the 2008 Special Schools Festival. 

For further information on any of the above please contact Chris Turner on (01785) 619681 or cturner@staffordbc.gov.uk

Step into Sport is a national programme aiming to coordinate opportunities at a local level for young leaders 16-19 years of age to begin and sustain an involvement in sports leadership and volunteering.

Community Volunteering is when a young person, who has already undertaken some sports leadership within their school, undertakes a volunteer placement in a local sports club or other organisation within their local community. After completion of 50,100 or 200 hours of active volunteering they are awarded a nationally recognised Youth Sport Trust certificate.

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (SASSOT) aims to encourage and support young people (16-19) to acquire the confidence, knowledge and skills to begin and continue an involvement in sports leadership, within the community.

SASSOT are currently working with local schools to recruit the latest group of students onto the programme, and we are looking to identify a number of suitable placements that will allow these young people to gain valuable experience of sports volunteering.

Young people on the Step into Sport programme can volunteer within areas such as:

• Sports Coaching
• Sports Refereeing & Officiating
• Running Sport (Helping to run a Club)
• Marketing & Promotion
• Events/Development Days

I have attached the following document, which you can complete or pass on to any club or organisation interested in offering a placement:

• A Step into Sport Statement of Interest Form – please complete this to provide further details of your organisation and the type(s) of placement you could offer

Please complete and return the Statement of Interest Form to the below email address by Friday 23^rd November 07.

For further information please contact:

Chris Turner
SASSOT Club & PESSCL Development Officer 
Tel: 01785 619681 
Email: cturner@staffordbc.gov.uk

We are running this article again, just in case you overlooked it in last month's sport-e newsletter, as it a valuable tool not to be missed....

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

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

The Toolkit includes:

• Over 500 community sport photos
  
• Guides on how to use different promotional techniques including direct mail, press, advertising, and events
  
• Advice on how to target specific audiences
  
• A calendar of sporting events and campaigns throughout the year

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

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

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

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

The Promoting Sport Toolkit is available online here.

If you have any questions, suggestions or feedback on the content, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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

 

Women’s rugby is truly alive and kicking in Staffordshire following support from the RFU, RFUW, Staffordshire Rugby Union Ltd, Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent County Sport Partnership, Local Authorities, School Sport Partnerships and Rugby Clubs.  This together with successful grant applications being made to the Sport England Community Investment Fund, Local Network Fund and Awards for All will enable women’s rugby to be further developed in Staffordshire over the next 2 years

All funding has been secured by the Staffordshire Rugby Union Ltd Development Partnership and was led by Bill Leason, Chair of the Group.  Bill said “There has been some good work achieved in girls' rugby over the last 5 years through Active Sports and we wanted to build on this and particularly develop the senior women’s game”.  He added, “We are delighted that all grant applications have been successful and we can now start to deliver the programme”.

Keeley Fathers, will be the Women’s Community Rugby Coach and Rachel Scott will be the Women’s Rugby Development Administrator.  They will be hosted by the RFU and will work part time hours over the next 2 years. Tom Bartram, RFU Staffordshire Rugby Development Officer, said “Rachel and Keeley will work as a team to build a women’s rugby structure which can then be sustained by the volunteers thereafter”.

Key areas of work over the next 2 years will be to ensure that there are a minimum of 8 rugby clubs across the County with women’s sections, creating a sustainable senior and youth county programme and general coach and player development work.

For more information contact Rachel Scott, Women’s Rugby Development Administrator on 07970 679357.

 

Special Schools throughout the county took part in the annual tournament hosted by Staffordshire FA.

The annual Special Schools tournament attracted approximately 180 young footballers from around the county. Each player that took part were handed information regarding the Staffordshire FA’s Centre of Excellence Trials for Disability Football held at the Stoke City FC academy dome.

Players with disabilities ranging from visually impaired, hearing impaired, cerebral palsy and learning difficulties took to the football pitches at the Pro 5 football complex, Stoke on Trent for a day of competition and fun.

The eventual winners in the competition were:

• Girls – Coppice
• Boys 5/6 – Cicely Haughton
• Boys 7/8 – Queenscroft
• Boys 9/10 – Hednesford Valley High

All children at the festival will now be treated to a visit to Stoke City FC, to receive free coaching sessions and access free match day tickets for the game in the afternoon, as part of Staffordshire FA and Stoke City’s annual Disability Awareness Day which will be held on Saturday 8th March 2008.

Any club, school or disability organisation that is interested in taking part in Disability Football initiatives is asked to contact Staffordshire FA’s Disability Coach Jamie Leaning before Wednesday 2nd April 2007 for more information on 01785 256994, 07800619884 or jamie.leaning@staffordshirefa.com

 

Over 600 young people (year 5/6 pupils) from 23 local primary schools in the Cannock Chase District took part in an Indoor Athletics Festival at the Chase Leisure Centre, on 18 October 2007.

The Festival is now in its fifth year and is run in partnership with the Cannock & Stafford Athletics Club, Cannock Chase District Council, Sports Hall Associates and the Cannock & Rugeley School Sports Partnership.

The day is split into two Festivals, with Rugeley schools competing in the morning and Cannock schools in the afternoon.  Youngsters are encouraged to join the Council-run after-school Athletics Clubs, under the supervision of the Community Sports Coach.

These clubs link directly into the Cannock & Stafford Athletics Club, providing a clear pathway of progression into the Club environment.

For further information contact:
Simon Davies, Assistant Sports Development Officer 
T: 07929 207969, E: simondavies@cannockchasedc.gov.uk

 

Outstanding achievements in the Stafford Borough area are set to be recognised at a special awards ceremony to be held in February 2008.

Sport Stafford Borough, Staffordshire University, Stafford Borough’s Sports Development Team and the Staffordshire Newsletter have teamed up once again to promote this special event. A grand presentation is planned for the 22^nd February 2008 and we are currently on the lookout for nominations for the many awards on offer.

If you know of a group, school, individual or club that could be nominated for one for one of the awards below, please call the Sports Development Team on 01785 619565 who will be pleased to send you a nomination form in the post. Nominations for these awards close on the 16^th November 2007.

• Sports Performer of the Year (male)
• Sports Performer of the Year (female)
• Most Improved Sports Performer
• Junior Team Performance
• Senior Team Performance
• Under 18 Sports Performer
• Coach of the Year
• Special Contribution
• Sports Person of the Year (with disabilities)

 

Stafford Borough Council’s Sports Development Team have launched its new sports course brochure for 2007–2008 which has a definite link to the 2012 Olympic Games!

‘Go For It’ is the new name for the sports course brochure recently launched by Stafford Borough Council’s Sports Development Team.

Thoughts of the 2012 Olympic Games inspired the Sports Development Team to re-think what they are currently doing and align it to what will be a very inspirational and historical event in the country over the coming years.

Jenny Moore, Senior Sport and Physical Activity Development Officer said ‘The team wanted to have something for all young people to aim towards. This aim could be as simple as to take up a new sport or to become the next Kelly Holmes, it doesn’t really matter. We want to inspire all young people to get involved in sport and to achieve whatever they so wish from it’.

The new brochure has a definite theme of getting involved and setting goals for yourself which is what sport is all about. It has information in it on various sports courses that are available including Netball, Hockey, Basketball, Tennis, Football and Athletics.

For more information or to obtain a brochure contact Stafford Borough's Sports Development Team on 01785 619565.

 

 

Saturday 6^th October saw the second Jump into Sport event take place in Market Square, Stafford. The event is organised by the Sports Development team and aims to promote the service that is provided by the council and also promote the excellent sports clubs who operate within the Stafford Borough area.

Netball, Football, Cricket and Athletics taster sessions were on offer for everyone to try and hundreds of people did just that. There were young and old having a go at the sessions where they also picked up information on how to get involved in sport and physical activity in the Stafford Borough area.

Information on offer to members of the public varied from half-term information for young people, to sports club information for anyone that was interested in taking up a particular sport.

The event raised awareness of what is available with regard to sport and physical activity in the area and all people who took part in the activities thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

For more information on sport in the Stafford Borough area please contact the Sports Development team on 01785 619565.

  

For the third year running, Stafford Borough Council’s Sports Development Team have published a leaflet promoting those sports clubs within the borough who have achieved their Governing Bodies official Accreditation.

Senior Sport and Physical Activity Development Officer, Jenny Moore said ‘the team feels very strongly that sports clubs whom have gone through the accreditation process should receive separate recognition for it which is why the leaflet was first put together 3 years ago’.

Over the past three years, the number of sports clubs within the Stafford Borough area who have received either Charter Standard or Clubmark Accreditation has increased significantly. This is primarily due to the hard work and determination of the sports clubs who want their club to be the best that it can be and a place that parents feel happy to leave their children on a weekly basis.

For more information on the Sports Clubs available in the Stafford Borough area please contact the Sports Development team on 01785 619565.