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Thursday 29 November 2007
Introduction
1. Well when I addressed the conference last year, for the last time as the Project Director of the PESSCL strategy, I really didn’t think I would be back here again this year. But as they say “A week in politics is a very long time”. And a day in the life of Sport England often feels like a lifetime.
2. But seriously Jennie Price is sorry she can’t be with you today. We are dealing with some tough issues at the moment and she needs to be in London. The fact that we need to resolve these issues does limit the depth of what I can say to you today. But for me it is lovely to be back with so many friends and colleagues.
3. I’ve kept an eye on what you have all been up to. I have to say I was absolutely delighted, when I heard that take up of the 2 hour school sport offer had risen to 86% this year. Smashing the 2008 PSA target an entire year early.
4. I know just how much work, in every school sport partnership, lies behind that statistic. It’s just amazing! Sport England has been proud to lead the Step into Sport and Club Links workstrands since the start of the strategy back in April 2003.
5. What Jennie wanted to talk to you about is Sport England’s role in supporting children and young people to do sport within club and community settings. She would want me to underline that we work hand in hand with the Youth Sport Trust, and at the other end of the talent spectrum we also work in close partnership with UK Sport.
Community Sport
6. So after the foundations have been laid within a school environment, through the curriculum and out of hours activities, Sport England’s work really kicks in. We take, and going forward we will continue to take, responsibility for provision within the community and in clubs. The bright blue bit of the landscape now up on the screen.
7. For the top 30% group of youngsters, who are turned on and engaged in sport it’s about making sure we have sufficient high quality clubs in a wide range of sports. It’s about developing young people’s talent and enabling them to progress in their sport. For our most talented youngsters – a very small number – its also about handing them on safely to UK Sport and hopefully winning medal. Sport England’s role is also to help ensure youngsters’ needs are at the heart of governing body plans.
8. We need just as much innovation within club or community environments as we have seen within school settings. Steve highlighted in his talk the role of competitive sport. Clubs have a really important role to play. This was a real theme coming out of James Purnell’s competitive school sport seminar which Jennie attended last week.
9. For the middle 50% group where kids are doing some sport but could, with the right offer, be encouraged to do much more it’s about creating both additional supply and demand.
a. On the supply side its about making sure activities get delivered in the right place at the right time. So running a session when the youngsters wants it – so perhaps Saturday afternoon – instead of straight after school when they are warn out and cheesed off.
b. On the demand side it’s about taking traditional sport and delivering it differently. I think the best example I have seen of this is Midnight Madness Basketball in London. You just turn up at 11 pm, you can wear whatever you want, you get to use cool Nike kit and there is music blasting out. It’s not what I would want to do on a Friday night but it is what lots of kids want. I’ve seen the same happen in boxing. I think we also need some non-traditional options as well, for example dance and fitness.
Its really all about listening to what young people want and then providing it. Providing the sorts of changing rooms they want, the sort of kit they like and so on. We have been good at doing this within school settings but not always as good when kids move into club or community provision. That’s why some clubs remain uninviting places. That has to change.
10. Its really is for this 50% group where we really must get the links between the work the Youth Sport Trust leads and the work Sports England leads right. We are getting there but I am sure there is more we could do. That’s why we are committed to working with the Youth Sport Trust and NGBs to transform clubs.
11. Finally, as the graphic suggests we don’t see ourselves playing a significant role in supporting the 20% of youngsters who don’t like sport and are therefore hard to engage. It’s not about ignoring this group. Rather this is where the Department of Health and its partners need to step in and help. Getting this bit of the sporting landscape right is something James Purnell said the Government would look at again and we need them to find solutions.
The 16+ Drop Off
12. We need to remember that the jump from school to club continues to be a massive step. The National School Sport Strategy has done a fantastic job at getting school children doing sport. What it hasn’t yet done is truly stop the drop off in sports participation which happens when young people leave compulsory schooling at 16.
13. Our Active People survey tells us that, at least, 25,000 young people stop doing sport all together each year when they reach the age of 16. For girls the drop happens even earlier – around 14.
14. Best practice tells us that where school sport partnerships link up into county sports partnerships, with national governing bodies and health partners linked in, then you can stem the drop off. We need to make it easier for you to make the right links locally. We need to share what works. We need to how the courage to adapt structures to make them work for young people.
Conclusion
15. So in conclusion Jennie wanted to thank you for your work and effort. She wanted to underline that going forward Sport England will continue to support school sport and the new 5 hour offer. It’s a fantastic challenge. A fantastic opportunity. Time and time again you have shown that you are able to deliver. You and the Youth Sport Trust are a great example of what can be achieved when you combine effort.
16. Again lets just remind ourselves about how the entire sporting landscape looks. I am now going to hand over to John Steele who is going to talk about the final bit of the jigsaw – the pointy green bit – elite sport.
[1100 words]
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