36,000 kids in the North East inspired to play by London 2012
36,000 young people in the North East who don't normally play sport outside of school lessons have made a change and completed 10-week sports courses in their own time, new figures released today reveal.
Encouragingly, researchers found that nationally two in five youngsters are continuing to play sport afterwards - in clubs and with their friends.
The courses, part of Sport England's Sport Unlimited programme, have been completed by 36,448 young people in only two years - demonstrating how Sport England is helping youngsters in CountyDurham, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and Tees Valley to make a positive change in their lives. Across England, half a million youngsters have completed courses.
With London 2012 now just two years away, Sport England is urging more young people not to miss out and to sign up for the next round of courses starting in September. Anyone interested can visit the Sport Unlimited website for local information about activities happening in your area.
The Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson MP, said:
"Sport Unlimited is going from strength to strength, encouraging hundreds of thousands of young people to try sport.
"One of my top priorities is to ensure that we deliver a sporting legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This scheme is part of that, inspiring a new generation of children to get out there and take part, no matter what their age or ability."
Further Information
Please click here to download Sport England's full press release on the success of the Sport Unlimited programme in the North East.
Alternatively, please visit our Sport Unlimited website for information specific to Northumberland.
