New structure will put communities first in the run up to 2012

Download the Delivery system Policy Document here

Download the CSN document here

Chair of the London Sports Board, Philip Lewis and Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Minister for London, unveiled a new sporting infrastructure for the capital on Thursday 24th May.

Five freshly-formed PRO-ACTIVE London Partnerships will be charged with delivering sport and active recreation throughout London to improve levels of participation. They will also play a major role in creating a lasting legacy for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by identifying areas for investment, particularly at grass roots level.

(left to right Christine Double -Director of Pro-Active South, Jason Fergus - Director of Pro-Active  East, Philip Lewis - Chair of the London Sports Board, Simon Lister - Director of Pro-Active West, Jim Fitzpatrick MP- Minister of London, Angus Robertson Director of Pro-Active Central, Rosi Prescott member of the London Sports Board, Adrian Ledbury Director of Pro-Active North London)

Sport England’s Delivery System for Sport and Active Recreation, is also being launched today, which will ensure that organisations work together to increase participation in sport. The Delivery System connects participants and local deliverers with policy makers and funders at the local, sub-regional, regional and national levels in a simple and co-ordinated way. It will also link Sport England’s overall strategy more closely with the coaches and volunteers delivering sport in the city. The PRO-ACTIVE London Partnerships are a central part of this Delivery System.

The new infrastructure is designed to improve accessibility to sport at all levels, particularly amongst hard to reach groups currently participating at lower levels.  As well as receiving £3million investment from Sport England, the initiative has already had Government backing.

Sean Holt, Regional Director of Sport England London said:

“The PRO-ACTIVE Partnerships and Sport England’s Delivery System are central to achieving our goal of increasing participation in sport by 1% year on year.

“We are committed to creating a sporting environment for London that we can all be proud of,” he continued. “Providing greater opportunities for residents of the city’s local communities to get involved in sport, be it as a participant, coach or volunteer, represents a vital part of this.”

The Partnerships operate across London in 5 sub-regional areas, namely, North, South, East, West and Central. This mirrors the geographical areas of London’s councils, ensuring representation for every one of the Capital’s 32 boroughs and the city.

The PRO-ACTIVE London Partnerships will be responsible for implementing the new Delivery System in local communities in the form of Community Sport & Physical Activity Networks (CSPANs).  Each local network will comprise experts from a variety of sectors including sport, health, education, regeneration and the relevant local authority. This ensures that any projects incorporate the interests of a full range of partners, giving local people the chance to influence the sporting decisions that affect their area.

Today’s launch follows the publication of Sport England’s recent Active People survey, which found that just 21.3% of Londoners aged 16 and over take part in regular sport or exercise. The survey also found that only 3.5% of the adult population contribute regularly to volunteering in sport, despite almost one in five people having received tuition from an instructor or coach in the past year.

Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Minister for London said

“Sport in London takes place in a range of settings, often being delivered through a wide variety of organisations and individuals. Even so, there are still wide disparities in the level of participation by Londoners depending on where they live, their economic situation or their cultural background.  We can’t force people to take part in sport, but we can encourage it to flourish by giving it the right environment in which to grow. This initiative will do just that.”

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Media Contacts:

Tim Maynard020 7758 3921 timm@launchgroup.co.uk

Alex Eeles07980 667262 alexe@launchgroup.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

Sport England exists to sustain and increase participation in community sport. It is a non-departmental public body and Lottery distributor. Its ambition is to get two million people participating more in sport by 2012. It does this by promoting, advising and investing in community sport.

For more information on the PRO-ACTIVE Partnerships, visit:  

www.pro-activenorthlondon.org

www.pro-activesouthlondon.org

www.pro-activeeastlondon.org

www.pro-activewestlondon.org

www.pro-activecentrallondon.org

For more information on the Delivery System for Sport and Active Recreation, visit www.sportengland.org/london_index.htm