Olympic and Paralympic medallists are helping
Sport England shine a spotlight on the important role community
sports clubs play in developing our young sports stars of the
future.
With every medallist from last year’s Games
invited to nominate the community club where they discovered their
love of sport, Sport England’s 2012 Clubs initiative is providing
bespoke advice and support to help them continue their good work
within the local community.
So far 30 clubs have begun their work with
Sport England including the clubs that nurtured medallists Dame
Sarah Storey, Hannah Cockroft, Greg Rutherford, and the Brownlee
brothers.
Debbie Greenwood from Halifax Athletics Club,
which helped Hannah Cockroft on her journey to Paralympics glory,
said: “2012 Club is helping us build on the legacy of the Olympic
and Paralympic Games be offering Calderdale disability sports
development team, and the coaches from the Halifax Harriers
Athletics Club advice and support. This will further develop
participation opportunities and the inclusion of disabled young
people in a mainstream sports club.”
While aware of the local funding opportunities
available to them, the Club were provided with information about
Sport England’s Small Grants programme as well as the wider
disability sport development opportunities being offered by West
Yorkshire Sport.
The support and advice provided by Sport
England includes:
- Helping the operational and people aspects of clubs through
Sport England Core, including personal development for volunteers,
improving club management and Clubmark and Clubfinder
- Investment for sports groups through our Small Grants, Inspired
Facilities and Protecting Playing Fields funds
- Providing free business skills training and support to those
doing the day-to-day running of clubs through Club Leaders
- Connecting clubs with the thousands of people who’ve signed up
to help out in grassroots sport through the Sport Makers
campaign.
A plaque will also be placed at each club,
acting as a permanent reminder of the athletes’
achievements.
Last week, Dame Sarah Storey visited her own
primary school and home of her first swimming club, Disley Primary
School, to unveil the plaque and spend time coaching the
children. As our greatest Paralympian ever, Disley Primary
School played a vital role in setting her on her way to achieving
11 Paralympic gold medals.
“It’s fantastic to come back to where my
sporting journey began and see how enthusiastic these kids are
about sport,” said Sarah. “Sport should be an important part of
every child’s life, be that in school, at an after-school club or a
community club. Good clubs and coaches are essential, not only in
developing elite athletes but in every person’s sporting
experience. A good club means a lifelong commitment and enjoyment
of sport and it’s great to see clubs being celebrated in this
way.”
Sport England is committed to developing sport
at the grassroots level and is investing £1billion over the next
five years to achieve this. This money will help grow participation
and ensuring individuals have the best sporting experience
possible.