Sport and recreation across the district is to get an injection of over £31,000 thanks to a Sport England Community Investment Fund grant.
The funding is part of a £105,000 package designed to create more opportunities for sport and active recreation in south Wiltshire and increase the number of people taking part by 1% per year.
Whilst Sport England is providing £31,000 over two years, the balance of £74,000 has been committed to the project from members of a new community sport network, the Salisbury Sport and Physical Activity Alliance (SSPAA). This includes a recent Awards for All grant awarded to Salisbury Area Sport for the delivery of a key element of SSPAA's action plan.
Projects that will benefit from the new funding include:
- Establishing a school to sports club link programme to extend the participation of young people in a range of activities.
- A development and training programme to assist sports clubs to gain accreditation to enable them to offer structured coaching to young people.
- Active leisure classes for older people
- Extending sport and active recreation activities to rural areas.
The SSPAA is the first network in the south west to have been awarded Community Investment Funding from Sport England. The partners have been working together over the past 18 months to develop the Alliance, identify priorities, produce an action plan and apply for funding.
Alliance members include Salisbury Area Sport, the Avon Valley and Salisbury School Sports Partnerships, Wessex Community Action, Amesbury Sports Centre, South Wiltshire Strategic Alliance (the Local Strategic Partnership for the district) the Wiltshire and Swindon Activity and Sports Partnership, as well as Salisbury District Council
The new Alliance was launched at a special event at 7pm on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at the City Hall, Salisbury with key speakers Nick Lockwood, Investment Manager for Sport England South West, David Bareham, Chief Executive of the Wiltshire and Swindon Activity and Sports Partnership (WASP), Louise Cary, Principal Sports Development Officer for Salisbury District Council and Peter Wrighton, Chair, Salisbury Area Sport.
Cllr Brian Dalton, Portfolio Holder for Community Initiatives, said; "This is an exciting time for sport and physical activity in this district.
"Working with others to improve the health and wellbeing of local people is one of this council's key priorities. This scheme should help us to provide more opportunities for people to be physically active or involved in the organisation of sport and recreation'.
"It is important to demonstrate to the community exactly what the new Alliance has to offer local people and organisations by involving them in the process. All sectors of the community have a part to play – health, community safety, the youth service, sports and other voluntary clubs, parish councils and education.
Cllr Steve Fear, Deputy Leader of the Council, said; "It is great that the efforts of so many organisations are being recognised by Sport England with this award.
"Setting up the Alliance means that we can align partners' existing priorities and targets within one joined-up plan for sport and active recreation based on the needs of local communities."
Peter Wrighton, Chair of Salisbury Area Sport, said, "The Alliance will bring together the key partners for sport and recreation in Salisbury District. By working together we will be more effective and will be able to provide better and more opportunities for local participation."
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