Sport for Children in Staffordshire Receives a £750,000 Boost
Young people in the county will be able to try their hand at an exciting range of different sports as part of a major programme launched by Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (SASSOT).
'Sport Unlimited', a £36 million national programme funded by Sport England, will get more children taking part in sports that interest them most outside of school. Sport Unlimited targets the 50% of young people who are described as 'Semi-Sporty'. These young people may not be attracted by the types of activity that are currently provided and so will be offered 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.
With SASSOT already receiving £195,000 of these funds, year one will witness more than 160 blocks of sessions, 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 and 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 said "Sport Unlimited is a great opportunity for organisations across the county 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".
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
Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent - www.sportacrossstaffordshire.co.uk
Naomi Bird 01785 619585 nbird@staffordbc.gov.uk
Jane Kracke 01785 619187 jkracke@staffordbc.gov.uk
East Staffordshire
East Staffordshire School Sport Partnership
Andrew Mawdsley - Partnership Development Manager, 07951 393861 / pdm@robertsutton.staffs.sch.uk
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