South West London 2012 Inspire Programme Winter Newsletter 2011/12

Transcription

1 Over the past four years, Inspire mark projects have been advocating the legacy pledge made by Lord Sebastian Coe in Singapore in 2005: What s inside: Sportivate Sportivate-Somerset Sportivate-Cornwall Weymouth to Lulworth Cove Coastal Access B&NES Aquatics Programme Wiltshire 2012 projects Further information: Join In events database Olympic Torch Relay One of the visions we took to Singapore was also very clear, and that was to change attitudes: to change attitudes to sport, to change attitudes to participation, to change attitudes to the way that a host city should be delivering a Games within a sustainable community, to change attitudes through the Paralympic movement, to public attitudes towards disability. The Inspire programme has been inspiring people, young and old, from all walks of life to be part of the London 2012 Games. Be it; * trying new sports, * learning the importance of the Olympic and Paralympic values, * increasing skill-sets through volunteering * helping businesses raise their profile and take advantage of the Games, * or investing in the future through sustainability projects. The Inspire programme has a great deal to be proud of, but it s strength is only due to those project managers that are using the Games to galvanise change, encourage people to do something new and go beyond their personal best. This year will see London hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games for the third time, making it the first city ever to hold the Summer Olympic Games on three occasions. Nevertheless, this is not the first time London has gone down in history for delivering Olympic or Paralympic firsts. London has been at the forefront of embedding change into the way that the Games have been delivered: In 1908, London was the first Olympics to see national teams compete against each other for points and medals. It also hosted the first modern distance marathon, established as 26 miles and 385 yards. This had been requested by the British Royal Family so that the race could finish in front of their viewing box. 1 Programmer for the,

2 In 1948, not only was it the first time the Games had ever been televised, but it was the first Games to feature volunteer participation on any significant scale, setting the template for the modern army of an unpaid workforce was also the beginnings of the Paralympics; Dr. Ludwig Guttmann of Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury hosted the first competitive sporting event with World War II veterans with spinal injuries, as part of a rehabilitation programme. This event, known as the 1948 International Wheelchair Games, was purposefully intended to run alongside the Olympic Games in London. London 2012 will make history again and lead the way for future host cities. Sustainability has been at the heart of the Olympic build, with the aim of making London the first truly green Games in history. Legacy has also featured at the top of the agenda of the London 2012 Games. The Inspire programme is another first which we can only hope will be repeated by future host cities. Rio 2016 has shown an interest in the Inspire programme and has been watching how the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has reached out to the whole of the UK, changing people s lives through its focus on legacy. The hope is that they will take the lessons from the UK s Games to their own. All 274 Inspire projects in the can be proud that they have been part of this historical shift in the delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games! Sportivate Sportivate is a national programme led by Sport England and delivered through the network of 49 CSPs, working with a range of local partners. The programme began in April 2011 and will run until March Its aim is to create sporting opportunities and challenges that give everyone the chance to become part of the mass participation legacy. The programme gives participants aged between 14 and 25 the chance to receive six weeks of coaching in a sport of their choice. It is aimed at young people who are not currently choosing to participate in sport, or are doing so for a very limited amount of time. The programme also aims to support the participants to continue playing sport in their community after the six weeks is up. The Sportivate programme covers a wide range of sports, ranging from Dodgeball and Dragonboat Racing to Zumba, Rock climbing and Scuba Diving. Sportivate is being delivered by the following County Sports Partnerships in the ; Cornwall, Plymouth, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wesport. 2 Programmer for the,

3 Sportivate in Somerset More than 483 young people in Somerset have been inspired to do sport in their own time in the first six months of Sport England s Sportivate Olympic and Paralympic legacy initiative. 16 year old Daniel Mountstevens from Bridgwater is one of the teenagers and young adults who received six weeks of coaching in a sport of their choice. He did a Just Play Football Sportivate course and is now a regular with the Just Play Centre. Daniel said: I really enjoy having a kick about with my mates and meeting new friends. The other players don t have a go at me if I mess up. It s been a great experience and I ll definitely keep coming. Projects currently running across Somerset include rowing in Taunton with Ian Payne and Wimbleball rowing club, a female futsal league in Bridgwater, tennis at the Avenue Tennis Club in Burnham, Zumba and body attack at Richard Huish College and gym memberships across the county. Laura Dyke, Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership Sports Development Manager, stated: We have seen some great projects run in the first six months of Sportivate and have some really exciting projects running at the moment. Having this investment has enabled us to get out to those young people who aren t usually active and provide them with an opportunity to get involved in Sport and Physical activity, some for the first time Sportivate in Cornwall 592 young people have taken part in the fun courses so far, with the help of Cornwall Sports Partnership, which is managing the National Lottery funded programme in the county. As well as creating a pathway for young people to get involved in something new, the initiative is also revealing new talent. Some of the participants that took part in a Sportivate project with Nankersey Gig Club have since been selected to take part in the 2012 Gig Rowing World Championships on the Isles of Scilly! Rhiannon Halliday, from British Rowing, comments: Sportivate funding via Cornwall Sports Partnership has been vital in supporting clubs to increase participation in rowing within the target age group of In Cornwall, clubs have used the funding to support the running of accessible learn to row courses for young people and contributions towards coaching qualifications for volunteers will also ensure the projects are sustainable. Success stories for 2011 include the projects run at Looe and Nankersey rowing clubs, where 10 out of 10 of the participants continued to row into 2012 with Looe, and 12 out of 12 at Nankersey. For more information about the Sportivate programme, visit: www. sportengland.org/about_us/ places_people_play/sportivate. aspx 3 Programmer for the,

4 Weymouth to Lulworth Cove Coastal Access: Dorset s wonderful coast is one of its greatest assets We are delighted that this stretch will be established as the very first section of the England Coast Path. (Angus Campbell, Leader, Dorset County Council) Dorset County Council s Coastal Ranger and Countryside Access teams have been working with Natural England to bring in new coastal access rights at Weymouth Bay (Rufus Castle, Portland to Lulworth Cove). This will be the first stretch in England to gain the new coastal access rights. The Secretary of State approved the proposals on January 26th 2012, so establishment works can now go ahead. Once these works are completed the new rights will come into effect. Benefits for Dorset arising from the new coastal access rights include: The ability to automatically roll back the path in response to erosion. This is a significant benefit in Dorset, where erosion can happen suddenly and in large uneven slips or slumps, severing the path and incurring significant costs and difficulties in trying to reestablish a coastal path. Improved alignment of the path in a number of places. For example, giving improved sea views and taking people on a more coastal experience. Additional areas brought into public access. The rights also give increased access to land seaward of the route and in some cases landward as well. The much valued Coast Path branding will be retained but as the new rights come into force this stretch of the path will also become the very first part of the England Coast Path. The Coastal Access Project Weymouth Bay has been awarded the Inspire mark as Weymouth Bay was chosen as the first place where new coastal access rights will be implemented because of the location of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Events in Weymouth & Portland. Further information is also available at: naturalengland.org.uk/ coastalaccess 4 Programmer for the,

5 B&NES Aquatics Programme Bath and North East Somerset Council, with support from the Amateur Swimming Association, Aquaterra Leisure and local swimming clubs, have developed a new and progressive pathway within an all inclusive swimming programme. The programme has been developed in order to create a pathway from mass participation through to excellence that ensures every individual achieves their full potential. The B&NES Aquatics Programme is using the London 2012 Games to enthuse and inspire young and old alike, regardless of ability, to get involved in swimming in whatever form. They are being encouraged to realise their potential, reap the benefits of being active, and lead a healthy lifestyle and lifelong love of swimming. At the top of this new pathway, the Aquae Sulis Performance Swimming Club are gaining momentum and have secured extra water time to ensure that developing swimmers can continue to train and progress beyond the anticipated level within local swimming clubs. By supporting these young people both individually and collectively and nurturing their determination to reach the top of their sport, a whole new echelon of athletes have been inspired to be part of the programme. Numbers have risen from around 33 to 75 across three squads and the Swim Stars programme which is the feeder into the Aquae Sulis Potential Squad and local clubs, now has four squads with approximately 24 swimmers. However, it is not just about elite swimming. Everyone is encouraged to set personal goals whether concerned with health, learning to swim, fitness, swimming a length or getting selected to represent their school. Local GB swimmer, Stacey Tadd and Paralympians Kate Grey and Dave Hill have been helping get this message across. Across the Council s four public leisure centres there has been an increase of 13.5% in the last year across lessons for under 5 s, juniors and adults, whilst participation figures for the same period for casual junior swimming have increased by 8%; adults by 11.5%; family swims by 8% and a massive 30% increase in those taking part in aqua aerobics/aqua zumba classes. In total an inspiring 41,000 more swims in the last year which compares favourably against a general decline in swimming participation nationally. 5 Programmer for the,

6 Wenlock visits Wiltshire 2012 Projects London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Mascot, Wenlock, visited a range of Wiltshire s Inspire mark projects on the 28th February The Sport and Physical Activity team at Wiltshire Council has been awarded the Inspire mark for eight of its projects and four partnership projects. The all-day event started in Chippenham which included the Chippenham Games launch, a kick about with the Kandu Kicks project and a stroll with a Get Wiltshire Walking group. The lunchtime stop at Devizes Leisure Centre was a chance for Wenlock to receive a physical referral from the Active Health project, before helping to launch the Bradford on Avon Community Sports Week. 6 Wenlock then headed to the south of the county to Tisbury Sports Centre where he helped launch Going for Gold Games with a group of primary school children that will be taking part in this local schools sports day in July. Wenlock then got active when he Returned to Sport with a bit of Badminton, before heading over to try out some Chair-based Exercise as part of Active Health: Strength and Balance, before finally supporting the ladies of WoW Fit! Wiltshire Council is proud that a number of the Sports and Physical Activity projects have been awarded this mark of excellence and were delighted to welcome Wenlock to Wiltshire, showing him all the great work that is going on across the county! Programmer for the,

7 A Royal Visit to the Osmington White Horse: Congratulations to the team working on the Osmington White Horse Restoration Project. On 12th March all of the hard work was rewarded by a visit from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. Weymouth was a popular holiday destination for King George III and his court and, in 1808, a figure depicting the King was carved into a nearby hillside to honour him. Unfortunately due to illness, the King was unable to return to Weymouth to celebrate this tribute by those who held him in the greatest respect and affection. Over the years the condition of the monument deteriorated. Vegetation encroached upon the figure and ad hoc changes took place, altering the monument s original shape and appearance. In the knowledge that the eyes of the world would be focussed upon Weymouth and Portland for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, action was needed! So began the restoration of this beautiful monument. 204 years after the completion of the monument, it finally received the Royal acknowledgement it deserves! For more information about the Osmington White Horse, visit: www. osmingtonwhitehorse.info/ 7 Programmer for the,

8 Autumn Newsletter 2011/12 Further Information: Join in event listings As part of the Inspire programme, or a Local Leader, you can upload your events to the London 2012 Join in event listings. This is a fantastic opportunity to promote your Inspire events and increase participation in your project. The event listings is where fans from throughout the UK will be going to see what events they want to join in and get involved with, leading up to, and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Events that are submitted will be showcased on the Games-time website, which we anticipate will receive one billion visits, and will be featured on our London 2012 map. To upload your event visit: To become a Local Leader visit: Torch Relay: May joy and good fellowship reign, and in this manner, may the Olympic Torch pursue its way through ages, increasing friendly understanding among nations, for the good of a humanity always more enthusiastic, more courageous and more pure. Pierre De Coubertin, founder of the Modern Olympic Games. How are you getting involved in the Olympic Torch Relay? Get in touch and let us know your plans. London 2012 Inspire Programme has gone viral! Get involved and follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook and keep up to date with London 2012 inspired activity in our beautiful region. Tel: jgardner@aucb.ac.uk Twitter: SW 2012 FB Inspire Programme: facebook.com/southwestinspire For more information or support, please contact, r for the, jgardner@aucb.ac.uk, Office: , Mobile: Programmer for the,