Students inspire Midlands school pupils to take up sport

 

 

STAFFORDSHIRE University students will be spending hundreds of hours working to boost sporting activity among the region’s schools.

 

Ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games, pupils will be given more opportunities to get involved in sport by over 50 third year undergraduates on placements.

 

Starting in October, each placement involves 150 hours work over six months in schools and organisations in Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, South Cheshire, Burton upon Trent, Walsall and Wolverhampton, among others.

 

Stafford and Stone School Sport Partnership (SSP) is one of those that will benefit.

 

Joining the SSP will be two third year BA(Hons) Sports Development and Coaching undergraduates, Caron Fincher and Rob Grocott, who will be working as a Media Officer and Olympic Projects Officer, respectively.

 

Caron, 47, from Stafford, is a former Royal Navy physical training instructor and mother-of-three who entered University for a career change.

 

She said: “I was in the Navy for 22 years and, after I left, I wanted to go into teaching at degree or adult level, so I chose to study sports development and coaching at Staffordshire University.

 

“When we had to look for a placement for our third year, I was very interested in getting into the media side of things so I approached the SSP and offered my services.

 

“I’ll be helping them to promote their work, revamping their website, conducting interviews and dealing with the media.”

 

As well as third year students, the Stafford and Stone SSP will also be taking on six Foundation Degree (FD) Sports Development and Coaching students, who study at Stafford College in partnership with Staffordshire University.

 

The organisation is also employing one of last year’s placement students, Arron Dunn. He will be working on weekends, alongside his full-time job as a Sports Engagement Co-ordinator at Staffordshire and Keele universities.

 

Arron, 28, from Stafford, said: “On placement last year, I was working on a programme to encourage the Olympic values in schools. We got over 70 schools to sign up to the London 2012 Get Set programme and I ran Olympic festivals for around 110 kids. It was a great success.

 

“I’d definitely recommend students go on placement. The experience it offers is key when it comes to employment. It helped me get my job.”

 

Stephen Glover, partnership development officer for the Stafford and Stone SSP, said: “We’ve been taking Staffordshire University placement students for three years now and we’re looking forward to this year’s intake as well. They’ll be a big help.”

 

Chris Lee, Senior Lecturer in Coach Education at Staffordshire University, added: “Sport and Exercise at Staffordshire University has a well-established and very successful placement programme with a significant number of local and regional partners involved.   “This includes schools, sports coaching companies, council sports development departments and other organisations involved in the sports sector, many of whom take students year after year.”

 

 

Sam Schofield
Press Officer
T: 01785 353401

E: Sam.schofield@staffs.ac.uk