Great News for Local Coaches

Northumberland Sport are pleased to announce that a national campaign to recruit 10,000 voluntary community sports coaches in 70 of the most deprived areas of the country was launched at the Labour Party conference by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport James Purnell.

James Purnell said: “Coaches have a crucial role to play in getting young people into sport, getting them fit and active and developing sporting talent. But the coaches also benefit – gaining new skills and being a role model in their local community. This is why I am leading this campaign to get more people into coaching.”

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is to invest £5 million nationally over three years in the recruitment campaign that will be delivered by sports coach UK, Sport England and sports national governing bodies from April 2008.

Good quality coaches are especially important in widening access and increasing participation in sport with priority groups such as women, people on low incomes, people with long-term illnesses and ethnic minority communities.

The announcement was welcomed by Sport England North East who is already contributing to this drive after awarding £1.3 million through the Community Investment Fund to create 69 new coaching posts, in partnership with the region’s four County Sports Partnerships, adding to the existing network of over 300 coaches, across the North East.

After last year’s Active People Survey highlighted less-than-average levels of participation within the region, Sport England North East put into place plans to improve participation in sport by expanding their coaching network at the local level, and with an additional 69 coaches recently recruited across the region, the army of over 350 coaches in the North East is stronger than ever and is on target to make a real difference to sporting opportunities in the community.

With 32 coaches fully developed through the Club and Coach Fund, on top of the army of volunteer coaches already in existence across the north east, the drive will help build strong communities by getting adults and young people involved in activities in their local area. It will also help increase sport participation and help develop sporting talent.

Ten thousand coaches will deliver more than three million extra coaching hours in an array of sports – from football to basketball, rugby to tennis. It is the first phase of the Government’s strategy to overhaul the quality and quantity of sports coaching in this country.

Judith Rasmussen, regional director at Sport England North East, says: “Coaches are important to encourage participation and provide expert tuition. Good coaches ensure activities are safe and enjoyable. There will also be economic benefits from the creation of these new employment opportunities and the training programmes will produce highly skilled and qualified regional coaches.

“We’re really pleased that the Government has recognised the valuable role that coaches play within sport in the country. It is a huge step forward and this further investment will complement the £1.3 million the Regional Sports Board has invested on coaching in the North East.”