SPORT ENGLAND IN THE NORTH WEST JULY 2003 UPDATE

Sport England Strategy

  Vision …                Making England an active and successful sporting nation
		
Missions …	Working with others to create opportunities for people to get involved in sport, to stay in sport, and to excel and succeed in sport at every level.

Objectives …	1. Opportunities to play sport
Increase participation in sport in order to improve the health of the nation
2. Opportunities to stay in sport
Retain people in sport and active recreation through an effective network of clubs, sports facilities, coaches, volunteers and competitive opportunities
3. Opportunities to achieve success in sport
Making sporting success happen at the highest level

	

In order for Sport England to deliver the vision here in the North West we are taking the following initial steps:
•	New staff structure and methods of engaging partners.
•	New roles that include marketing, research and development, sport and the environment, education and skills, economic and social inclusion, local government, health, the non-sporting voluntary sector, and performance management. An announcement on structures and appointments will be made later in August
•	Mobilising the new Regional Sports Board during September under the guidance of Andy Worthington, new Chair of the Board. We anticipate the Board agreeing the regional strategy (following stakeholder involvement) and making investment decisions in the spring of 2004.
•	Communicating the National Framework for Sport and how we engage stakeholders in the formulation of a new regional strategy for sport.  

An example of our new approach relates to a recent agreement with the Government Office for the North West (GONW) to undertake a scoping exercise across all the Government Office departments. This is to establish the relevance of sport to a variety of social, economic, and environmental developments and then derive the appropriate links and methods of working that will place sport (in its widest sense) at the heart of regional planning and future policy development.

We anticipate that the three-month scoping exercise will identify a secondment from Sport England which will assist GONW colleagues to create the connectivity between sport and the broader quality of life issues. 

Stewart Kellett, new Regional Director for Sport England in the North West, feels that this is a great example of how we can raise the importance of sport in the region. 

“ I anticipate that this type of approach will be replicated across other regional agencies in order to create greater understanding of the social and economic value of sport and establish more innovative ways to create ‘buy in’ to our sector.

The agreement for joint working with the GONW is great news for the sports sector. Raising our profile with key regional bodies and influencing policy change and future investment will be key to building sustainable growth within the sporting infrastructure for the North West. “

July 2003 Update
CONTENTS

GENERAL NEWS

-	SPORT ENGLAND: THE STORY SO FAR
-	LOTTERY STOCK TAKE UPDATE
-	NEW FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY SPORT
-	DCMS LOTTERY REVIEW
-	SPORT ENGLAND COMMUNITY CAPITAL OPENINGS
-	CITY OF MANCHESTER STADIUM HANDOVER
-	NEW ATHLETICS ARENA AT SPORTCITY
-	VALUE OF SPORT RESEARCH
-	REGIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE COUNTS
-	BEACON COUNCIL SCHEME ROUND FIVE

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT 

Sport in schools 
-	ACTIVEMARK AWARDS
-	SPECIALIST SPORTS COLLEGES
-	SAFE PRACTICE IN PE

Clubs & governing bodies
-	GREATERSPORT ACHIEVES RACIAL EQUALITY STANDARD
-	MERSEYSIDE STRATEGY FOR SPORT
-	CLUBMARK UPDATE
-	THE VIP RECOGNITION AWARDS 2003
-	CHILD PROTECTION AT THE FA
-	RUGBY UNION TRAINING COURSE
-	TENNIS RESEARCH

Sport & the community
-	'POSITIVE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE' CUTTING CRIME
-	HEALTH INEQUALITIES - A PROGRAMME 
-	FOR ACTION
-	BURA GUIDE TO BEST PRACTICE IN SPORT AND REGENERATION
-	BUILDING A BETTER PICTURE OF 
COMMUNITY COHESION
-	NEW CHILDREN'S FUND ACTIVITIES MAKE GOOD START
-	RURAL HEALTH, TRANSPORT AND EDUCATION BOOST
-	NATIONAL ANTI-RACISM WEEK OF ACTION IN FOOTBALL
-	BHFNC CONFERENCE ON YOUNG PEOPLE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

FACILITIES & PLANNING

-	PLANNING FOR PLAY: PLAYING FIELDS AND POSITIVE GAINS FOR SPORT 2001- 2002
-	GUIDANCE ON INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF SWIMMING POOLS

INFORMATION UPDATE

-	REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT UPDATE
-	LATEST DEFRA GUIDE TO FARMLAND WALKS AND RIDES
-	ON THE MOVE BY FOOT: A DISCUSSION PAPER
-	NEW BODY TO GOVERN DEAF SPORT
-	NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY WEBSITE
-	THE STRATEGY FOR TOURISM IN ENGLAND’S NORTHWEST
-	THE POST GAMES VOLUNTEER PROJECT WEBSITE
-	LISTENING TO TOMORROW’S ATHLETES
-	COUNTRYSIDE INFORMATION SYSTEM
-	CCPR
-	COUNTRY PARKS - A FORGOTTEN TREASURE?
-	SAFE SPORTS EVENTS - A CHILD-FOCUSED RESOURCE PACK FOR ALL SPORT EVENT ORGANISERS
-	BBC LAUNCH DISABILITY SPORT WEB PAGES

EVENTS

SPORT ENGLAND: THE STORY SO FAR

Sport England is currently implementing a radical modernisation programme and developing a new strategy for sport. The 'interim' Sport England website gives you an update on the current situation and helps to bridge the gap between the old and new organisation. Work is underway to launch a brand new site in the autumn, which will reflect the new Sport England. In the meantime, you can visit the linked 'archive' website which was frozen on 25 June.

‘Interim’ site: http://www.sportengland.org/
‘Archive’ site: http://archive.sportengland.org/

LOTTERY STOCK TAKE UPDATE 

Sport England in the North West has recently announced continued support for a total of 11 projects worth £25 million. This represents a Community Capital investment of £12 million.

A further 11 schemes will be referred to the Regional Sports Board for future consideration. The new Regional Board is being set up as part of a radical reform of Sport England. It will be made up of local people who will make decisions on local schemes which will account for the majority of Sport England’s total investment in the future. 

Sport England in the North West has also confirmed that a total of 9 projects have not been approved and will not receive any further funding. These decisions were taken because, not withstanding the extra funding announced on 14th July (see next item ‘New Funding For Community Sport’), the projects did not meet Sport England’s new business objectives.

The re-assessments were part of a wider stock take of all Sport England lottery investments to ensure that all projects meet criteria for raising participation levels and success, in line with the Government’s strategy for sport.

Since the inception of the Sport England Lottery Fund, the region has benefited from a total of 442 Community Capital projects worth over £220million. This represents a total Lottery investment of over £145 million. 

County	Project Costs
(1995 – to date)	Community Capital Investment
(1995 – to date)	Number of Awards
(1995 – to date)	
Cheshire	£20,048,071	£13,676,621	74	
Cumbria	£25,426,547	£17,390,591	91	
Greater Manchester 	£70,548,692	£49,723,389	121	
Lancashire	£61,938,852	£37,849,668	107	
Merseyside		£43,080,470	£27,288,398	49	
Total	£221,042,632	£145,928,667	442	

For further information on the Sport England Lottery Fund contact Ian Munro on 0161 830 4925 or email ian.munro@sportengland.org

NEW FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY SPORT 
 
At the recent Sports Summit meeting in London on 14 July, Tessa Jowell announced a boost of a further £100 million of Lottery money from the New Opportunities Fund for facilities for grassroots sport and physical activity. This money will be invested in community sport across the UK. In England this will be matched by £31m from Sport England to create a £108.5 m partnership fund which will bring in extra investment from the private sector. 

http://www.sportengland.org/press_releases/new-funding-welcolmed.htm 

DCMS LOTTERY REVIEW

Tessa Jowell also recently announced some major changes to the way the Lottery will be operated in the future. Setting out the main points in the new Lottery decision document published on the DCMS website, the Culture Secretary announced a new £200m Youth Fund, which will concentrate solely on distributing money to children's groups and young people

Other major changes proposed in the decision documents include:

•	Local referendums will be used by the new distributor to consult communities about particular decisions;
•	Each lottery distributor will involve the public in decisions about funding themes and local lottery spending by a number of mean including citizens' juries;
•	The new Joint Promotional Unit will look at ways to increase local involvement in decisions on funding major capital projects;
•	Community Fund and New Opportunities Fund to merge, creating biggest distributor - controlling 50% of money intended for good causes. The body will also act as a first point of call for new applicants who do not fit neatly distributors' priorities;
•	A new micro-grants scheme - a simplified procedure of applying for awards of less than £500 which can be decided upon quickly and easily;
•	An expansion of the Awards for All programme, increasing the maximum small grant available from £5,000 to £10,000;
•	Set up a National Lottery Day - an annual event when lottery-funded organisations will open their doors for free to show people the work they do, people who have received lottery funded training - sports stars and musicians for example - will pass on free coaching to the public. There will also be one-off big jackpots for players;
•	Make people more aware of where their 28p in every pound ticket goes by creating a common logo that would be displayed by all recipients of lottery cash.

The National Lottery Funding Decision document is available at http://www.culture.gov.uk/global/publications/archive_2003/nat_lott_funding.htm

Comments are invited on the proposals, with consultation running until 31 October 2003.

Written comments should be sent to:
Rachel Miller
Review of National Lottery Funding
DCMS
2-4 Cockspur Street
London SW1Y 5DH

SPORT ENGLAND COMMUNITY CAPITAL OPENINGS

The following Sport England Lottery Funded facilities have recently opened:

Lindow Cricket Club, Wilmslow, Cheshire
New pavilion, all weather practice nets and ground improvements, opened 20 July 2003
Sport England Lottery Fund Award: £118,300
Project cost: £182,000

Ince Rosebridge Sports and Community Club, Wigan, Greater Manchester
New clubhouse with four changing rooms, improvements to the existing rugby pitch and the establishment of a training area and rugby 7s pitch.  The project will also benefit from improved car parking facilities and perimeter fencing, opened 4 July 2003
Sport England Lottery Fund Award: £562,880
Project cost: £793,380

For further information on the Sport England Lottery Fund, contact Ian Munro on 0161 830 4925, ian.munro@sportengland.org 

CITY OF MANCHESTER STADIUM HANDOVER

Sport England was represented by leading athletes Darren Campbell and Katharine Merry as Manchester City Football Club took over the City of Manchester Stadium recently.

Sport England invested £77 million of lottery funding into the Stadium which was the magnificent centrepiece of the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games. As the anchor tenant, MCFC is responsible for all maintenance, repair, and renewal of the facility as well as all operational risk. MCFC will also pay a rent to Manchester City Council, based upon a percentage of ticket sales at the stadium above 32,000 providing MCFC is competing in the Premier League, which will be re-invested into sports facilities and programmes in Manchester and the North West. In addition, the stadium will be made available for community use for 100 days each year - this will include use of the pitch for local youth football competitions.

Roger Draper, Chief Executive of Sport England, said: "We built a Stadium not just for the Commonwealth Games but for people to enjoy for generations to come. The estimated two million rent per year from the Stadium will be ploughed back into local sports facilities."

NEW ATHLETICS ARENA AT SPORTCITY  

A new 6000-seat arena for athletics and major events is to be built in Manchester’s Sportcity complex. The new arena will surround the existing out-door track at the Sportcity development in East Manchester. The track was used as a warm-up and training area during the successful 2002 Commonwealth Games, and now will become the base for a hotbed of leading athletics activities.

The Arena will be a unique athlete, media and spectator-friendly stadium which will stage regional, national and international events. It will also be the centrepiece of a range of community and school activities.

Independent consultants say it will draw up to 1.5 million visitors to east Manchester in the next 10 years and create 95 jobs.

The £3.5million project is being co-ordinated by Manchester City Council and New East Manchester Limited both of who played an integral role in the development of Sportcity. The additional funding was drawn from the European Regional Development Fund.

VALUE OF SPORT RESEARCH

Sport England has just published the outcome of a major national study assessing the economic value of sport in England and reported for the first time on its value across all of the English regions. The reports highlight the increasing value of sport to the economy.

Sport is a major contributor to the North West’s economy according to the study. It employs almost 50,000 people, and households spend nearly £1.6 billion a year in the industry, which is equivalent to £236 per person.

Other key findings from the research, which is available on the Sport England website:
•	Of the 49,500 people working in the industry, 16,800 are employed directly in the sports industry.
•	Sport generates £675 million of household income a year in the region the majority of which comes from spectator sports, retailing of sport equipment and activities that supply the sport industry.
•	The sport industry generates £1.14 billion output/value added for the region, which accounts for 1.4 per cent of the region’s economy. Employment in the industry accounts for 1.8 per cent of total employment.
•	Sport in the region contributes £625 million to central government a year through taxes, and receives £96 million in sports related grants which is equivalent to £12.60 per person – one of the lowest rates for all English regions.
•	Spending by tourists directly on sports is worth £13.6 million with a further £16.2 million spent on associated accommodation. 
	 
National and regional reports available http://www.sportengland.org/resources/download/download_1.htm#new

REGIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE COUNTS - RESULTS FOR THE ENGLISH REGIONS 

Regional versions of the Government’s national headline indicators of sustainable development were published by Defra recently. 

The third edition of Regional Quality of Life Counts provides updated regional figures and analysis for 14 of the 15 headline indicators, for each of the English Government Office Regions. 

The headline indicators aim to provide a ‘quality of life’ barometer covering people’s everyday concerns like health, jobs, crime, air quality, traffic, housing, educational achievement, wildlife and economic prosperity. 

The report pulls together already published statistics to help provide a regional perspective to the headline indicators and to allow comparisons between regions and with progress nationally.

http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/indicators/regional/2002/index.htm

BEACON COUNCIL SCHEME ROUND FIVE

The application brochure for The Beacon Council Scheme Round Five, giving background details, an outline of the themes and advice on how to apply, has recently been made available on the ODPM website. The themes are: Benefits Administration; Better Local Public Transport; Crime & Disorder Partnerships; Early Years & Childcare – the Sure Start Agenda; Housing Renewal; Promoting Sustainable Tourism; Services for Older People; Supporting People; Supporting Social Care Workers; and, Transforming the School Workforce.

http://www.local-regions.odpm.gov.uk/beacon/rd5/index.htm

___________________________________________

- SPORTS DEVELOPMENT - 

Sport in schools

ACTIVEMARK

54 North West primary schools have recently been rewarded for their consistent efforts to keep their pupils active, fit and healthy. In all, 34 primary schools have received Activemark, for promoting the benefits of physical activity and sport throughout the school day. A further 20 schools have been awarded an Activemark Gold in recognition of their outstanding commitment to physical activity as part of the school’s provision.

Activemark and Activemark Gold are national awards which are valid for three years and schools are encouraged to celebrate their achievement with pupils, staff, parents and partner organisations.

All schools that express interest in the scheme receive a copy of the Active School Resource Pack for Primary Schools, produced by the British Heart Foundation. The theme of the resource is to ‘Get Active, Stay Active’ and it is a valuable source of information for teachers, full of practical ideas, including traditional and modern games, as well as activities that can be built into a daily routine.

To find out more about Activemark accreditation contact the Helpline on 0800 169 2299. 

The closing date for the next round of Activemark accreditation is 1st November 2003.

List of successful schools in the North West:

AM = Activemark
AMG = Activemark Gold

Cheshire
·	Cambridge Road Community Primary and Nursery School, Ellesmere Port - AM
·	Mostyn House School, Neston - AMG
·	Peover Superior Endowed Primary School, Knutsford - AMG
·	Tarvin Primary School, Chester - AMG

Cumbria
·	Castle Park School, Kendal - AM
·	Dearham Primary School, Maryport - AM
·	Elleray Preparatory School, Windermere - AMG
·	Haverigg Primary School, Millom - AM
·	Penny Bridge CE School, Ulverston - AMG
·	Plumpton School, Penrith - AM
·	St. Georges C of E Primary School, Barrow in Furness - AM
·	Valley Junior School, Whitehaven - AM

Greater Manchester
·	St. John's RC Primary School, Manchester - AMG
·	St. Kentigern's School, Fallowfield, Manchester - AM
·	Christ Church C of E Primary School, Oldham - AM
·	Castleton Primary School, Rochdale - AM
·	Darnhill Community Primary School, Heywood, Rochdale - AMG
·	St. Luke's Church of England Primary School, Heywood, Rochdale - AMG
·	St. John Fisher RC Primary School, Denton, Tameside - AMG
·	Gorse Hill County Primary School, Stretford, Trafford - AM
·	Highfield Primary School, Urmston, Trafford - AM
·	Kings Road Primary School, Manchester, Trafford - AM
·	Park Road Primary School, Altrincham, Trafford - AM
·	Seymour Park Community Primary School, Manchester, Trafford - AM
·	St. Teresa's RC Primary School, Stretford, Trafford - AM
·	The Firs Primary School, Sale, Trafford - AM
·	Tyntesfield Primary School, Sale, Trafford - AM
·	Woodheys School, Sale, Trafford - AM
·	Castle Hill St. Philip's CE Primary School, Wigan - AM
·	Hindley Junior and Infant School, Wigan - AM
·	St. Nathaniel's C of E Primary School, Wigan - AM
·	St. Peter's CE Primary School, Wigan - AM
·	Westleigh St. Paul's CE Primary School, Wigan - AM

Lancashire
·	Holy Trinity C of E Primary School, Blackburn with Darwen - AMG
·	Aughton St. Michaels CE Primary School, Ormskirk - AM

Merseyside
·	Cherryfield Primary School, Kirkby, Knowsley - AM
·	Knotty Ash CP JMI School, Liverpool - AM
·	Northway Primary and Nursery School, Liverpool - AM
·	Shoreside County Primary School, Sefton - AMG
·	St. John's C of E Primary School, Southport, Sefton - AMG
·	St. Mary's Preparatory School, Liverpool, Sefton – AMG

·	St. Nicholas CE Primary School, Blundellsands, Sefton - AMG
·	Thornton Primary School, Liverpool, Sefton - AMG
·	Ashurst Primary School, St. Helens - AM
·	Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, St. Helens - AMG
·	Eccleston Mere Primary School, St. Helens - AMG
·	Garswood County Primary School, St. Helens - AMG
·	Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, St. Helens - AM
·	Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School, St. Helens - AM
·	St. Julie's Catholic Primary School, St. Helens - AM
·	Pensby Infants School, Wirral - AM
·	Riverside Primary School, Wirral - AM
·	Sandbrook Primary School, Wirral - AMG
·	St. George's Primary School, Wirral - AMG

SPECIALIST SPORTS COLLEGES

Seven more schools in the North West are to receive ‘specialist sports college’ status in September, following a recent announcement by School Standards Minister, David Miliband. 

The successful schools are:

Cheshire	Wilmslow High School
Cumbria	Kirkby Stephen Grammar School
Lancashire	Brownedge St Mary's Roman Catholic High School
		Heysham High School
		Worden High School
Manchester	Our Lady's RC High School
Wigan		Lowton Community High School

Specialist schools have a special focus on their chosen subject area but must meet the full National Curriculum requirements and deliver a broad and balanced education to pupils. They work within a named ‘family of schools’ for the benefit of pupils beyond their own school boundaries and other groups of people in the wider community.

Full details on the Specialist Schools programme are available on http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/specialistschools/, including the 2003-04 application form and guidance notes.

SAFE PRACTICE IN PE

The DfES has commissioned a poster from the British Association of Advisers and Lecturers in Physical Education. It aims to encourage safe practice, and schools could usefully display it in common rooms and sporting areas.

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/healthandsafety/pesafety/?section=1215

- Clubs & governing bodies-   

GREATERSPORT ACHIEVES RACIAL EQUALITY STANDARD

GreaterSport (Greater Manchester Sports Partnership), alongside Oxfordshire Active Sports Partnership, has become the latest county sports partnerships to achieve the preliminary level of the		
Sporting Equals' Achieving Racial Equality: A Standard for Sport. Sporting Equals uses the standard to monitor, evaluate and assess the work already being done by organisations involved in sport, and to identify new areas of work and good practice organisations can put in place.

The full press release is available at: http://www.cre.gov.uk/media/nr_arch/2003/nr030701.html 

GreaterSport website: http://www.greatersport.co.uk

MERSEYSIDE STRATEGY FOR SPORT

The Merseyside Sports Partnership has recently launched a new ‘Strategy for Sport in Merseyside’.		
The strategic document takes account of national policy and Government direction while reflecting the specific characteristics of Merseyside and the ever-evolving sports partnership.

It’s development incorporated extensive consultation between March 2003 and June 2003 with a wide range of individuals from sporting organisations across Merseyside including development groups, several large conferences and individual interviews across Merseyside.

The Strategy provides a framework for the development of sport and active recreation for young people. In particular, it seeks to identify:

•	Clear priorities for the development of sport for young people and its infrastructure within
Merseyside over the next five years.
•	Ways in which the priorities will be achieved.
•	How local and county partners will link with national and regional organisations.

For further details contact Jean Stephens, Director, Merseyside Sport
Telephone: 0151 231 5343
Email: j.stephens@livjm.ac.uk
Website: www.merseysidesport.com

CLUBMARK UPDATE

Twenty one clubs in the region have now been accredited for the Sport England Clubmark scheme. Clubmark is a nationally recognised award for sports clubs achieving quality provision of sport which is judged to be ‘safe, effective and child-friendly.’

The most recent additions are:

Club					LA/County			         Sport	
Moorfield CC				Halton/Merseyside		      Cricket	
New Brighton CC			Wirral/Merseyside		      Cricket	
Tyldesley RUFC			Wigan/Greater Manchester      Rugby Union	
City of Manchester Aquatics	Manchester	                            Swimming	

For further details on Clubmark in the region, contact Jamie Gold on 0161 830 4917 or email jamie.gold@sportengland.org

THE VOLUNTEER INVESTMENT PROGRAMME (VIP) RECOGNITION AWARDS 2003

Does your club encourage young people aged between 16 and 24 to get involved as volunteers?  If so, we want to hear from you! 

The annual VIP Recognition Awards seek to identify best practice in volunteer recruitment, retention and recognition.  This year, the Awards focus on the involvement of young people as volunteers. 

•	Who is eligible? - All voluntary sports clubs
•	What's the prize money?
£100 - High Commended Award (5 per Region) 
£1,000 - Regional Winner (1 per Region)
£3,000 - National Winner (1 overall winner) + local and national publicity! 
•	When is the closing date? 31st August 2003			
•	How do I enter? - Call the VIP hotline on 0800 363 373 for a copy of the application form.

All completed applications should be sent in the post to VIP Recognition Awards 2003, PO Box HP86, Leeds LS6 3XW.  

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY 
•	All applicants must be from a voluntary sports club within England. 
•	Responses provided will be used to promote good practice to VIP members.
•	Any prize money must be reinvested to support the involvement of young people as volunteers. 

JUDGING PROCESS AND TIMESCALES: 
September - October 2003: A judging panel consisting of representatives from County Sports Partnerships, the Regional Sports Board, Voluntary Sector Organisations and Youth Associations will assess all applications submitted within each region.  

October 2003: A national judging panel consisting of representatives from the above organisations and other national bodies will then assess all regional winners in order to identify one overall national winner. 

December 2003: The national presentation ceremony will be held at a venue in London. Representatives from all winning applications (highly commended and regional winners) will be invited to attend a celebration lunch with key sporting personalities.

CHILD PROTECTION AT THE FA

As part of the FAs commitment to the welfare of children in football, a new internet survey has been published which hopes to capture a snapshot of child protection at clubs of all levels.  The survey can be accessed at http://www.thefa.com/. Click on the FA tab.

RUGBY UNION TRAINING COURSE

The Rugby Football Union has launched a new comprehensive training course for coaches involved in Mini/Midi Rugby.  The new Mini/Midi Coaching Award is an all-encompassing course which qualifies successful candidates to coach and referee from Under-Nine to Under-12 levels. It also deals with the important issue of child protection. The Mini/Midi award is the third course to be developed in the new streamlined RFU Coaching structure following on from the Mini-Tag course and Community Leaders Award. The courses, which are organised regionally by RFU Rugby Development Officers, take approximately 15 hours to complete and are competence-based with ongoing on-course appraisal. A key feature of the new course is the move away from one-off assessments. Coaches now coach approximately 15 times during the course.  For further information see: 
http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/RFUHome.News_Detail/StoryID/3728 

TENNIS RESEARCH

Research as part of UK Sport’s Sporting Conduct Initiative has found that British tennis must reconsider its responsibilities for ensuring fair play. Researchers from the University of Gloucestershire Centre for Ethics, Equity & Sport have met across the country with nearly 40 tennis coaches operating at all levels of the game to explore their views on fair and unfair play. The picture presented is that of a sport which, particularly at the grass roots, often finds it hard to address the difficult issues of misconduct and cheating. According to coaches, these issues include a tacit acceptance of rule-bending, undue parental pressure and an over-emphasis on winning that, among juniors, can actually be detrimental to their skills development. Young players also seem to be learning inappropriate behaviours at an increasingly earlier age. A copy of the Executive Summary of Ethical Issues in Tennis: The Coach’s Perspective is available by e-mailing russell.langley@uksport.gov.uk 
http://www.uksport.gov.uk/template.asp?id=1495

- Sport & the community -   

'POSITIVE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE' CUTTING CRIME

A new multi-million pound programme of Positive Activities for Young People was recently launched to help steer the energy and talent of vulnerable 8-19 year olds into a positive direction in life.

Positive Activities will provide a broad range of school holiday time activities providing structured occupation and personal development opportunities, diverting young people from taking part in criminal activities, and giving those at risk of being socially excluded a chance to fulfil their potential.

The programme will also seek to bring together young people from different neighbourhoods and communities across England, breaking down prejudices and improving community cohesion. Volunteering opportunities will be offered to help engage young people in activities that will benefit the local community.

Young people will be able to choose from quality arts, sports and cultural activities during their school-holidays and those who show a particular interest or talent will be encouraged to pursue the activities both on return to school and in subsequent holiday periods.

Positive Activities have been designed to meet local needs - often in close consultation with young people themselves - the schemes will offer a wide range of creative and development opportunities on which young people can build. Key workers will help to support young people with the greatest needs both in identifying and gaining access to suitable programmes and in subsequent transition back into education or training.

The 'single pot' of funding for youth activities builds upon the expertise of the partners and the lessons learnt from precursors of the schemes, such as Summer Plus and Splash programmes.

The funding has been awarded to Government Offices based on a formula that takes into account the needs of young people living in the area, local crime 'hot spots', truancy rates and community cohesion issues.

A total of £25million has been allocated for the first year of the three-year Positive Activities programme from a partnership comprising government departments, the youth and charity sectors. Contributions comprise £30 million from the Connexions Service, £12 million of National Lottery money from the New Opportunities Fund (committed so far, for the first year of the programme) £2 million from the Youth Justice Board and £1.5 million from the Home Office's Community Cohesion Unit.

The allocations for each Government Office for 2003 are: 

Eastern £641,640
East Midlands £1,113,331
London £7,392,995
North - East £930,010
North - West £5,106,190
South - East £1,468,477
South - West £1,025,255
West Midlands £2,327,474
Yorkshire and Humberside £2,394,627

http://www.wired-gov.net/WGLaunch.asp?ARTCL=18528

HEALTH INEQUALITIES - A PROGRAMME FOR ACTION

Health Inequalities - A Programme for Action sets out detailed ways in which the Government's strategy to cut inequalities in health can be put into practice.

The document provides a detailed toolkit for local organisations to change the way they deliver services to improve the health of disadvantaged groups.

It covers not just the NHS but local authorities, social services, education, planning and employment.
The Action Plan is available on the Department of Health website at
www.doh.gov.uk/healthinequalities/programmeforaction 

BURA GUIDE TO BEST PRACTICE IN SPORT AND REGENERATION

The British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) recently launched its ‘Guide to Best Practice in Sport and Regeneration’. The publication, which is sponsored by Sport England, is a thematic review of key areas in which sport can have a positive impact on our towns and cities. 

Areas reviewed include:

•	The Economic Impact of Sports Development 
•	Sport and Cultural Strategies 
•	Sport and Community Relations 
•	Social Inclusion and Young People 
•	Sport and Lifelong Learning 
•	Sport and Regeneration 
•	Design Issues 
•	Planning matters 

Each chapter details the principles of successful sports-led regeneration, and includes illustrative case studies. 

The Guide retails for £10.00 (plus £2.00 postage and packing), and is available from the BURA office. 

For further information, or to order a copy of the Guide, e-mail info@bura.org.uk.

BUILDING A BETTER PICTURE OF COMMUNITY COHESION

A new guide to help local agencies build a detailed picture of the cohesiveness of their communities, and monitor progress, was published recently by the Home Office.

‘Building a Picture of Community Cohesion’ sets out 10 core community cohesion indicators using relevant local data such as residents’ surveys, GCSE exam results and unemployment figures. These reflect the key elements defining a cohesive community and will help local authorities build strong integrated communities. 
Download the document at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/buildpicturecomcohesion.pdf 

NEW CHILDREN'S FUND ACTIVITIES MAKE GOOD START

Children showing early signs of difficulty are now being targeted for imaginative new government initiatives aimed at preventing low school achievement, reducing crime and improving health, according to the report ‘Children's Fund First Wave Partnerships’ released by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

The partnerships including local agencies and voluntary organisations, take a co-ordinated approach to help meet the needs of disadvantaged children, and set up services which work 

across the boundaries of school, health and social care. Many of the services visited for the purposes of this report target improvements in the provision of play and leisure opportunities.

The Children’s Fund was established by the government in 2001 with an allocation of £380 million over three years. It is administered by DfES’s Children and Young People’s Unit and sits alongside Sure Start and Connexions.
Ofsted, Social Services and Audit Commission inspectors visited partnerships across the country, including Knowsley, Lancashire and Salford. 

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/ 

RURAL HEALTH, TRANSPORT AND EDUCATION BOOST 

The Countryside Agency recently launched its "Rural Services Standard Second progress report 2002/03" which monitors the progress Government is making against the rural services standards. The standard sets out a range of public service standards on education, transport, healthcare, emergency services, legal services and employment.

Among the new standards for 2003 is:
Department for Education and Skills - Extended Plus schools. By 2006 all rural LEAs to have at least one extended plus school offering a core of services, including health and social care,
childcare, study support, adult education and family learning, ICT access, and arts and sports facilities. 

The progress report can be accessed at www.countryside.gov.uk

NATIONAL ANTI-RACISM WEEK OF ACTION IN FOOTBALL

This year, the National Anti-Racism Week of Action in Football is 16 - 28 October.
It is organised by Kick It Out and the related community Chest Grants programme.
There is funding available for 30 grants up to £1,000 each to community based and grassroots organisations. The closing date for applications is Friday 22nd August.
More: http://www.kickitout.org

BHFNC CONFERENCE ON YOUNG PEOPLE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 

The 3rd British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health annual conference will be held on Thursday 6 November at Aston Villa Football Club.

The conference will focus on Young People and Physical Activity and will provide delegates with an opportunity to find out the latest physical activity news and plans from key government departments, to gain essential up to date information on young people, physical activity and health and to share new, innovative ideas on increasing participation in physical activity
among young people.

The day will include a range of high quality keynote lectures and a series of challenging group seminars which will draw on lessons learnt from case studies and research.

The conference is targeted at all those involved in promoting physical activity to young people including: health, exercise and leisure professionals, Partnership Development Managers, School Sport Co-ordinators, Primary Link Teachers, primary PE Co-ordinators, P.E. teachers, 

youth workers, play leaders, health promotion officers, sports development officers, school nurses and people working in primary care.

Conference Rates	Booking prior to 19/09/03	Booking after 19/09/03	
Voluntary Sector Agencies	£70	£82	
Day Delegate Rate	£98	£112	

All figures are exclusive of VAT
The closing date for applications is Friday 24th October 2003

To receive further information or to request a conference pack and application form contact Naomi Chant at Creating Excellence, Tel: 01245 328303  or by email: Naomi@creatingexcellence.co.uk or visit www.bhfactive.org.uk.

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FACILITIES & PLANNING

PLANNING FOR PLAY: PLAYING FIELDS AND POSITIVE GAINS FOR SPORT 2001- 2002

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has published 'Planning for Play: Playing Fields and Positive Gains for Sport 2001-2002' outlining policy on the protection of playing fields and their use in boosting opportunities for young people to participate in sport.

http://www.culture.gov.uk/global/publications/archive_2003/planning_for_play.htm

GUIDANCE ON INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF SWIMMING POOLS

The Environment Agency has launched an online environmental information service to help businesses understand and comply with legislation concerning the installation and maintenance of swimming pools. The guidance is relevant for all businesses that install and maintain swimming pools, either in private residences or for public use. The guidance is also relevant for owners and operators of swimming pools.

This guidance can be accessed at: 
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs/sectors/456885/482378/?lang=_e&region=&projectstatus=&theme=&subject=&searchfor=installation+of+swimming+pools&topic=&area=&month=

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INFORMATION UPDATE

REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT UPDATE

The Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU) undertakes a process of identifying intelligence gaps in the region, in partnership and consultation with regional players who are members of the Regional Intelligence Network (RIN). The Regional Intelligence Network, a network of data researchers and practitioners from all interest areas in the region, facilitates the flow of data, information, intelligence and best practice throughout the region. Sport England in the North West is a member of the RIN, represented by Alex Bielecki.

A number of projects have been delivered or are currently in progress, including:

•	Graduate & Student Output
•	Attitudes to the Perceptions of Culture within North West England 
•	Benchmarking Employment in the Cultural Industries 
•	Cluster & Sector Analysis 
•	Skills & Qualifications 
•	The Health of Creative Businesses
•	NW Skills Survey 
•	Searchable Database for Grant Assistance
•	Participation in Sports & Arts within Northwest England – Year 9
•	Participation in Sports & Arts within Northwest England – Adult

For further information on the RIU see http://www.nwriu.co.uk

LATEST DEFRA GUIDE TO FARMLAND WALKS AND RIDES 

Walkers and riders looking for different routes in the countryside this summer should check the latest version of Defra's Conservation Walks and Rides Register. The free county-by-county guide now sets out the routes of more than 1,600 farmland walks and rides, available to the public under the Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Schemes. Farmers and other land managers receive grants under these schemes to allow walkers and riders access over farmland which would otherwise not be available to them.

The Register is held at an interactive site on the internet: http://countrywalks.defra.gov.uk 

ON THE MOVE BY FOOT: A DISCUSSION PAPER

A discussion paper on improving conditions for walking and increasing the number of journeys made on foot has been published by the Department for Transport. The report suggests that the Government should publish a national walking strategy, to which the government have responded by saying that they have already produced Encouraging Walking, a guidance document aimed at local authorities. The discussion paper can be downloaded at http://www.local-transport.dft.gov.uk/consult/walking/pdf/discussion_paper.pdf 

NEW BODY TO GOVERN DEAF SPORT

A new UK wide body has been created to provide a single, cohesive voice for deaf sport in the UK.  UK Deaf Sport, which has the support of 29 deaf sporting organisations across the country plus backing from UK Sport and the English Federation of Disability Sport, will initially 

concentrate on three key areas: the appointment of a national development manager to facilitate working relationships with all national governing bodies of sport and the Sports Councils; to prepare for GB’s participation in the next Deaflympic Games in Melbourne, January 2005 and to develop a UK-wide strategy for the future growth of deaf sport. For further information see: http://www.uksport.gov.uk/template.asp?id=1482 

NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY WEBSITE

The National Youth Agency has a newly revamped website.  The NYA works in England and the wider UK to advance youth work to promote young people's personal and social development and their voice, influence and place in society. The website can be found at http://www.nya.org.uk/ 

THE STRATEGY FOR TOURISM IN ENGLAND’S NORTHWEST

The Strategy provides a clear map for the development of tourism over the next five years. It sets out six themes that will underpin work to develop the sector: sustainability, quality, customer focus, business excellence, improved skills, and support for business clusters.
http://www.nwda-cms.net/DocumentUploads/TourismStrategy.pdf

THE POST GAMES VOLUNTEER PROJECT WEBSITE 

The Post Games Volunteer Project (PGVP) aims to provide a wide range of quality opportunities for people who wish to continue their involvement, or become involved for the first time in volunteering. As PGVP develops, it is hoped that relationships will be established with other organisations who place volunteers. 

Through its partnership working with Jobcentre Plus, United Utilities and Manchester Enterprises PGVP will build on the volunteering initiative to develop a programme of additional support for those volunteers who are seeking employment. 
http://www.pgvp.co.uk 

LISTENING TO TOMORROW’S ATHLETES

Norwich Union's 'Listening to Tomorrow's Athletes' report is the result of a survey of over 1,000 8-14 year-olds and over 500 parents. The survey aims to address both the negative and positive attitudes towards physical activity and exercise and to recommend how to enhance and improve the existing situation.
http://www.dtrt.info/ 

COUNTRYSIDE INFORMATION SYSTEM

The Countryside Information System (CIS) is a program developed to give policy advisers, planners and researchers easy access to spatial information about the British countryside. CIS contains a wide range of environmental data - including landscape features, vegetation habitats and topography for each one kilometre square of Great Britain.
http://www.cis-web.org.uk/home/ 

CCPR

The Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) has unveiled a new identity that will see it ditch the full version of its name. The organisation will now simply be known as CCPR, with a strapline explaining its role - 'one voice for sport and recreation'. A new logo has also been created. 
www.ccpr.org.uk.

COUNTRY PARKS - A FORGOTTEN TREASURE? 

Country parks, a lasting and popular legacy of the Countryside Act 1968, are more important to society today than ever before but they are at risk of neglect and decline and action is needed now to ensure they have a better future, according to the Countryside Agency.

The Countryside Agency commissioned the Urban Parks Forum and the Garden History Society to undertake a health-check of country parks. ‘Towards a Country Parks Renaissance’ establishes the current condition of country parks, and makes recommendations for their future management. It emphasises the important role country parks play in providing quality landscapes for people to enjoy around our towns and cities.
http://www.countryside.gov.uk 

SAFE SPORTS EVENTS - A CHILD-FOCUSED RESOURCE PACK FOR ALL SPORT EVENT ORGANISERS

The NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit, in conjunction with Sport England, has recently launched this comprehensive, practical guide for anyone responsible for organising sports events of any size from local single sport festivals, to multi sport regional, national or international residential camps. Safe Sports Events will help to ensure that as well as having fun, children and young people are safeguarded from harm at sports events. Guidance is given on: roles and responsibilities, recruitment and training, reporting procedures for concerns, and health and safety. The resource pack also contains a CD-ROM providing a template for a Welfare Plan, and forms to tailor to the needs of organisers. Copies can be ordered at £19.95 from the CPSU (tel. 01162 347278) or online at http://www.nspcc.org.uk/inform/informnews/SafeSportsEvents.asp

BBC LAUNCH DISABILITY SPORT WEB PAGES

The BBC Sport website now has a new section entirely dedicated to disability sport. 
Latest news and results from major events is available together with content from the BBC Sport Academy website. Reports, stories or features for possible inclusion on the website should be emailed to mailto:rikki.singh@bbc.co.uk and mailto:tony.garrett@bbc.co.uk 
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/disabilitysport 

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- EVENTS -   

19 Sept 	| Northwest Development Agency AGM & Annual Conference  | Manchester International Conference Centre |
25 Sept 	| It's A Goal Conference | City of Manchester Stadium |
6-10 Oct 	| Conservative Party Conference 2003 | Winter Gardens, Blackpool |
16-28 Oct 	| National Anti-Racism Week of Action in Football | JJB Stadium, Wigan |
06 Nov 	| The 3rd British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health annual conference | Aston Villa Football Club, Birmingham |

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