Sports Legacy

Changing the face of coalfield communities

www.coalfields-regen.org.uk

Sports Legacy Contact Details Coalfields Regeneration Trust Silkstone House, Pioneer Close Manvers Way, Wath Upon Dearne Rotherham, S63 7JZ Tel 01709 760 272 Sports Legacy Development Manager Tel - 01709 765 555 Fax - 01709 765 599 Mobile - 07813 687 533 sportslegacy@coalfields-regen.org.uk www.coalfields-regen.org.uk

The Aim
Imagine a 2012 where former coalfield communities are buzzing with fun fitness sessions up and down the country. Children are training for a Coalfields Sports Celebration. They dont have to travel to do it and its available and affordable in their local community. They want to see how fast they can run or how far they can jump and its all come about through the local volunteering base. This activity will provide a springboard for a life of physical fitness, helping to tackle the current rise in levels of obesity and diabetes in young people. They will offer a currently lacking opportunity to progress for those with the talent and tenacity as well as promote healthy lifestyle choices.

Sports Legacy Contact Details Coalfields Regeneration Trust Silkstone House, Pioneer Close Manvers Way, Wath Upon Dearne Rotherham, S63 7JZ Tel 01709 760 272 Sports Legacy Development Manager Tel - 01709 765 555 Fax - 01709 765 599 Mobile - 07813 687 533 sportslegacy@coalfields-regen.org.uk www.coalfields-regen.org.uk

Sports Legacy is great for kids. It keeps them off of the streets and is somewhere for them to go.

Increase Participation
The project addresses two major barriers to participation in physical activities in former coalfield communities. The first is that of cost. For many low-income households, spending any amount on a sports session is a low priority. Therefore, Sports Legacy sessions are free in the first instance and only introduce a charge that can be afforded by the local community. The second is a lack of transport. Former coalfield communities are often isolated with poor public transport links and low car ownership per household. Sports Legacy sessions, therefore, take place at the most suitable facility in the community itself.

Increase Community Coaching Capacity

The key to the success of the project is the recruiting and development of local volunteers. In this way communities take ownership of the delivery, rather than viewing it as a provision. Each new volunteer will have support. Volunteers are assigned a mentor to help their progression through the coaching levels, gaining qualifications, designing and delivering session plans. The emphasis is very much on the local volunteer to plan and deliver the session, with outside assistance, rather than assisting a coach who has been bought in to deliver, but has no real stake in the community. After a level of experience and training has been achieved, advice on how to set up in business, freelance or get paid employment will be provided to the volunteer. The expectation is that free provision should be continued in their local community.

My son has Aspergers Syndrome participating in athletics is something that he enjoys and helps with his fitness

Sustainable programmes
Sports Legacy is not just about creating opportunities to participate in community sport or volunteering, its also about providing the infrastructure to support fledgling groups to take root, grow, become self supporting and be able to sustain themselves. There may be opportunities to apply for CRT grants and other fundraising support will be accessible to the groups through our Sports Development team and partnership network.

Increase community cohesion and citizenship

CRT help local groups set up and run localised events throughout the year, bringing people together in sporting celebration. In addition these community sporting activities are part of a wider network and groups are invited to come together for a The Coalfields Junior Sports Celebration once a year, hosted by CRT. Events are a way for children, parents, youth groups, sports clubs and local stakeholders to work together for the benefit of the community.

Our aim is to support children and young people to believe in themselves, to achieve their dreams. Next Generations philosophy is to believe in children, to increase their life experiences and opportunities and to help them to reach their full potential

How Sports Legacy Works

In order to achieve these aims we will be working in one of four tried and tested ways. a) Events led b) Youth organisation development c) Sports clubs development d) Traditional sports development We will work with and alongside the current provision where there is one, helping to increase and widen the scope of that provision. At the same time we look to use sport to tackle problems inherent within coalfields communities. The approach selected will be determined by the level of local sports provision in the community.

Youth Organisation Capacity Building Development Sports Clubs

This approach identifies a local youth organisation, already engaged in the community and develops its capacity for sports delivery. This approach focuses on the recruitment of volunteers to bolster and build a clubs capacity. It looks at the needs of the club and the needs of the community.

Case Study:
Next Generation is a young voluntary organisation working with children and young people in the Pinderfields and College Grove area of Wakefield. They are based at the Lightwaves Leisure Centre. CRT has helped Next Generation by providing equipment, venue hire and resources to develop six volunteers. These volunteers have gone onto gain a Children in Athletics Certificate and to then deliver two athletics fitness sessions a week. Next Generation have also successfully run a Game On Midnight Football League. Next Generation are now looking to work with CRT on outreach work extending this sports provision into community locations as well as recruiting more volunteers.

Case Study:
Barnsley Harriers were a running club with no junior section. Through CRTs Sports Legacy programme six volunteers stepped forward to be trained to deliver fun athletics and fitness sessions to children in the community. In total, 6 people have completed CiA training, 5 are trained to Level 1 and a further 3 to Level 2. The equipment, publicity and support were provided by CRT to start a junior section at the Shaw Lane sports facility in Barnsley. CRT worked with local partners in Barnsley to assist the club and now Athletics sessions run regularly every Wednesday night with 15 participants attending on a regular basis. The club are now able to independently sustain this session and have aspirations to grow. If you are part of a Sports club that wants to add a junior section or increase its volunteer base then please contact the Sports Legacy Development Manager on 01709 765 555 sportslegacy@coalfields-regen.org.uk

Events Led
This model encourages regular activity by using the powder keg of a community sports day at a community venue.

Case Study:
CRT partnered up with the Forestry Commission to put on events at Thurnscoes Phoenix Park (formally Hickleton Pit). The events were promoted to existing park users via a database of participants held by the Forestry Commission. The summer events at Thurnscoe were described as: fantastic events and were reported as being full to capacity and nothing but popular. For young Matthew Hardman it provided an introduction to a new sport. Matthew is 9 years old, and is one of the youngest of a family of 9 children. As a direct result of this community event he now trains weekly with Doncaster Athletics club. The event also sparked interest from the Goldthorpe Salvation Army. With CRT assistance they were able to host weekly fitness sessions at their hall. Children who attended the event were also able to continue activity regularly here.

Sports Legacy is not just about creating opportunities to participate in community sport or volunteering, its also about providing the support to fledgling groups to take root, grow and become able to sustain themselves

Traditional Sports Development

This approach partners CRT with a well established organisation that has a good track record of sports development to kick-start a series of satellite clubs in targeted former coalfield communities via a Service Level Agreement.

Case Study:
A Service Level Agreement (SLA) was drawn up between CRT and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC). The SLA clearly specified the aims and delivery targets and target wards. With CRT funding, RMBC were able to utilise area sports development officers and their community sports coach for athletics to set up sessions and coordinate the necessary support network; including marketing and promotion, holiday provision, training for volunteers, activity delivery and the sports coaching scholarship scheme for volunteers. The satellite club sessions were provided free of charge in three target communities for a period of 12 weeks. Thereafter a small charge was introduced to cover facility hire / coach costs The clubs were branded as Rotherham Rockets and proved immensely popular with between 30-45 participants regularly attending at each site. All three satellite clubs are now fully sustainable and a further disabled session Rockets Ability has been set up.