'Sport Unlimited' programme brings nearly £750,000 into Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent

 

 

An exciting new programme aimed at getting more young people involved in community sport will bring nearly £750,000 into the sub-region over a three year period.  Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have just received a £195,500 cheque from Sport England to fund Year One of ‘Sport Unlimited’.

 

Members of the Sport Unlimited Steering Group receive the Year One cheque

 

Sport Unlimited targets the 50% of young people who are classed as ‘Semi-Sporty’.  These young people may not be attracted by the types of activity which are currently on offer, so Sport Unlimited will offer these young people 10-week taster sessions in sports or activities that they may not have had the opportunity to try before.  Within Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent this will include archery, lacrosse, cheerleading, boxercise and climbing as well as some of the more traditional sports.  Consultation has taken place with young people to help identify which sports would appeal, and also to identify how these sports need to be delivered to make them more attractive to young people.

 

In Year One, more than 160 blocks of sessions will be run, targeting over 7,800 young people, and over the course of the three years approximately 25,000 will take part.  It is vital that these young people continue to participate in sport after their 10-week block of taster sessions has finished, so a key element of the programme is to identify suitable exit routes such as community sports clubs and to work with these organisations to make the transition as easy as possible for the young people involved.

 

Jane Kracke, Sports Manager for Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent said “Sport Unlimited is a great opportunity for organisations across the sub-region to broaden their provision to hit a wider target audience.  By listening to what the young people themselves want, and by thinking ‘outside the box’ we can ensure that the programme successfully targets those young people that want to do more sport for the social or health benefits but that are put off by their perception that sport has to be competitive and is only for those that are really good at it”.

 

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are managing the Sport Unlimited programme within the sub-region.  However, local co-ordination is being overseen by a lead organisation / contact within each District:

 

Cannock Chase 
Cannock and Rugeley School Sport Partnership
Lucy Stevenson - Partnership Development Manager
01889 571680 ext. 148 / lucyestevenson@hotmail.com

East Staffordshire
East Staffordshire School Sport Partnership
Andrew Mawdsley - Partnership Development Manager, 07951 393861 / pdm@robertsutton.staffs.sch.uk

Lichfield                  
Lichfield District Council
Sarah Sleigh - Sports Development Officer
01543 308822 / 07764 166114 / sarah.sleigh@lichfielddc.gov.uk

Newcastle-under-Lyme 
Newcastle School Sport Partnership
Carl Inskip - Partnership Development Manager
07968 861303 / cinskip@ccsc.staffs.sch.uk

South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire Council
Katie White - Cultural Services Manager
01902 696528 / k.white@sstaffs.gov.uk

Stafford
Stafford Borough Council
Jenny Moore - Senior Sports and Physical Activity Development Officer
01785 619565 / jmoore@staffordbc.gov.uk

Staffs Moorlands
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council 
Ian Smith, Head of Leisure - Sport and Culture
01538 483738 / ian.smith@staffsmoorlands.gov.uk

Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Andrew Heaward - Sports Development Manager
01782 238666 / andrew.heaward@stoke.gov.uk

Tamworth
Tamworth School Sport Partnership 
Ben Bulleyment, Partnership Development Manager
07773 421509 / bb@rawlett.staffs.sch.uk

 

For information about Sport Unlimited activities in your local area please contact the person listed above. 

 

For general information about the programme, please contact Jane Kracke, Sports Manager (Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent) on 01785 619187 or jkracke@staffordbc.gov.uk