East Staffs thrilled at their nomination for the BBC Power of Sport award

Members of East Staffordshire Borough Council's Sports Development team are celebrating this month after being shortlisted for a regional award. The team's school activity programme, Sport in the Hood, has been nominated as a 'Power of Sport' project in the finals of the BBC Midlands' Sports Awards 2008.

The project, which organises free multi-sports activity in Burton during school holidays to keep children occupied and off the streets, faces competition from the other five projects in the running, each nominated by their county sports partnerships. The awards ceremony will be taking place at the National Motorcycle Museum on Sunday December 7th, where the winner will be announced by Rauf Mirza, Chair, Regional Sports Board and Steve Town, Regional Director, Sport England West Midlands. The evening includes the awards ceremony for all the BBC's categories of awards and a formal dinner for around 400 guests, including many of the region's sports stars.

Vicki Brearley, Head of Sports, Physical Health and Community Development said: "The team is thrilled to have been nominated for the award and we are all keeping our fingers crossed for the ceremony in December. The team has worked really hard on establishing the Sport in the Hood project and it is now a popular event during the holidays."

Councillor Bernard Peters, Deputy Leader for Health and Leisure added his congratulations to the team, saying: "Our sports team does marvellous work with children who enjoy the Sport in the Hood activities each year; we will be rooting for them to take home the trophy as well. I wish them the best of luck."

Sport in the Hood is an all year-round holiday programme that has been providing free sport and physical activities, for 6-16 year olds, over the last 12 years. The programme has grown significantly in the past 2 years to include new venues across East Staffordshire and aims to provide communities with access to high quality sport and physical activity provision from qualified sports coaches and leaders.

 
Summer 2008 saw 1,095 young people attend Sport in the Hood sessions. Sport in the Hood works in partnership through the newly-formed Community Sport Network, East Staffs United, with Community Centres, Youth Service, Parks and Countryside and local sports clubs. Partners are invited to provide alternative activities to traditional sports to help breakdown communication barriers with the other agencies participants coming into contact with Sport in the Hood children during their day-to-day usage of community facilities.

Sport in the Hood has also seen a number of former participants progress onto volunteering on the project and are now working as paid casual coaches after completing a number of coaching qualifications, with support of the Sports Development Team. These coaches have now become role models for the 6-16 year olds who attend Sport in the Hood.

The final week fo the summer holdiays saw over 100 children from all Sport in the Hood venues transported to Shobnall Leisure Complex to participate in an inter-community competition; a chance for many to represent their community and compete against other communities within East Staffordshire, with all emphasis on fair play and sportsmanship. This summer's events were football, cricket and an Olympics Celebration Day where the young people made flags to represent their community. The week was rounded off with an old school sports day and end of summer party.

 

For more information contact:

Emma Gilbert
Sports Development Officer
East Staffordshire Borough Council
T: 01283 505915
E: Emma.gilbert@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk