Sports Development - Volunteering

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Sports Development Team

Volunteers in Sport

A volunteering scheme has recently been established in Tameside offering individuals a chance to put something back into the community. The scheme identifies committed people within the borough, and gives them an opportunity to be mentored by professional sports coaches, to develop new skills such as leadership, communication and teamwork, and in turn, enhance their employment opportunities.

The scheme enjoys the full support of the Sports Development Unit staff, and volunteers are asked to help out at events, become involved with sports administration, develop a volunteering plan and are encouraged to fully participate in school curriculum coaching and after school clubs.

Volunteers are offered financial support when travelling to and from venues in terms of expenses, and are offered subsidised coach education courses. Kit is also offered free to the volunteers.

It is hoped the scheme will continue to be successful and volunteers can be offered accessible and quality pathways into sport.

Disability Sport

Picture of the Disabled Sports Club at Cromwell School Disability sport has grown in Tameside in recent months as more and more children and parents are recognising the benefits of social, physical and skill development and are accessing the sport on offer. With the after school clubs at Oakdale Primary, Cromwell Secondary and Samuel Laycock Secondary, offering extra-curricular sports, it is making sports related activity more accessible to interested athletes. More recently, Egerton Park Arts College, have developed a Motor Impaired Sports club offering more specialised coaching.

Recently, athletes from Samuel Laycock and Oakdale took part in the Greater Manchester Youth Games as part of the Athletics, Netball, Swimming and Girls Football events, with spectacular results! Many of the athletes achieved medals, which can only highlight the quality work that the Sports Development Unit, together with schools and athletes, can achieve. The Tameside Disability Sports Forum also works in partnership with Sports Development and schools to ensure that sport is made accessible.

Tameside Turtles are still endeavouring to offer sports provision at Longdendale Recreation Centre, with more projects planned for the future in other areas.

To summarise, disability sport has developed immensely with more awareness, knowledge and commitment being noticed throughout the borough ensuring that sport is accessible and fun!

Club Development

Picture of the Millenium Green Community Football Team The development of good player and coaching structures within youth sports clubs has become more prominent as National Governing Bodies are eager to ensure that quality coaching is offered. Tameside Sports Development Unit is keen to offer support to the clubs in terms of coach education, funding advice, club structure information and to offer advice.

A kitemarking scheme, developed by Tameside Sports Development Unit, is now in operation to encourage clubs to develop their own structure and access support from their National Governing Body. 'Tameside Approved' has been devised to offer a clear pathway and reward scheme for clubs whose National Governing body does not offer accreditation. Tameside clubs in Netball, Cricket, Football and Hockey are well on the way to achieving National Governing Body Accreditation.

It is important that clubs are valued and supported and a youth sport database has been developed to promote each club within school and community settings. This will hopefully broaden the participation base and offer children and parent's information on safe, effective and child-friendly clubs with good club and competition structures.

Coaches in School Scheme

Background

Tameside Sports Development work in partnership with local primary schools to deliver approximately one thousand PE Lessons a year equating to over 3500 children having the opportunity to play sport each week. The scheme's main objective is to promote and provide sport within schools whilst releasing a Key Stage 2 class teacher to work in other curriculum areas for the benefit of a whole school improvement.

Curriculum Lessons - Key Stage 2

Every School in Tameside has the opportunity to participate in the Coaches In School scheme, currently 97% of the primary schools are actively involved. The schools can choose how many half terms they would like the sports coach to deliver in. On average most schools utilise the scheme for three or more of the six half terms however over 37% of the schools buy in the coaches all year round.

Graph of the Number of Half Terms Schools Elect

In order to deliver such a comprehensive scheme a Sports Development Officer co-ordinates a team of full time professional Sports Development coach's. All coaches are qualified to at least a level two within a specific sport and have completed their First aid Certificate and Child Protection Workshop. With these qualifications and the continual inset courses and mentoring provided this ensure that the coaches have the skills and expertise to deliver lessons within the National Curriculum 2000 guidelines.

Over the last year the coaches in schools scheme expanded into Key Stage One with an emphasis on developing generic motor skills that are fundamental to all sports. The scheme has received great feedback and within a year has doubled in demand with over 180 lessons scheduled from September.

Extra-Curricular Activities

To compliment the work done in curriculum time after school clubs are also organised which last 5 weeks. Within a school year Sports Development deliver 250 sports clubs that in total attracts 3500 boys and girls from all cultures and backgrounds to get engaged in sport. Not only do Sports Development provide the opportunity to gain further coaching all schools are provided with the opportunity to enter school tournaments in all the sports provided in term time. Within the last year Sports Development at a variety of venues hosted 21 separate tournaments. These tournaments attracted over 200 school teams from all over the borough.

Evaluation

In order for the scheme to continually improve and meet the demands of the schools Sports Development seek regular feedback. This is done via regular communication particularly at PE Association meetings where all issues surrounding primary school sports are discussed. The second method of evaluation is done via evaluation forms that have to be completed by the school at the end of every half term. Schools currently state that the satisfaction rating of this service is 88% Excellent and 12% good at Key Stage 2 and 90% excellent at key stage 1 and 10% satisfactory.

Sports Festivals

Sports Development's Primary School Road Show

In part of the build up to the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games three separate Sports Development Teams went around all the primary schools with the Queens Baton Relay to promote the staging of the games in Manchester. A team of coaches would arrive at the school with the borough Mascot Tameside Ted and race in relay fashion against one boy and girl from every year in the school.

Due to the success and demand from primary schools last year Sports Development linked in with the Councils year of the Environment to produce 'Phil the Bin'. Once again Sports Development alongside Tameside Ted travelled to each primary school and competed against selected pupils in collecting beanbags from the school field.

For 2004 the road show will once again take place week beginning 12th July. This time the theme will be centred on the Olympics in Athens. So once again prepare yourself for Tameside Ted and the team of coaches at your school!

Community Athletics Development Coach

To develop athletics by delivering structured activities at a variety of schools, sports centres and community areas to help develop the local Athletics club through junior development and coach education in line with the UK Athletics and Tameside Sports Development strategies.

The main role is to take a lead in the organisation, planning and delivery of school lessons in Partnership with The Tameside Schools Sports Partnership, primary and secondary schools to improve quality of athletics in line with National Curriculum guidelines.

Also To link with UK Athletics initiatives and Resources and implement at a local level with particular reference to the Star : Track Athletics National Scheme and to implement Long Term Athletics Development coaching skills across a range of focus sports identified by Tameside MBC Sports Development and East Cheshire Harriers and Tameside Athletic Club.

Sport in the Community

Sports Development

The role of the Community Sports Development Team is to liaise with community groups through attending community forums to help them to identify sporting activity sessions that are running in their local area and to help local clubs and groups to develop sporting activities for themselves.

NRG Youth Sports Clubs

As well as liasing with local community groups on all issues relating to sport, Tameside MBC Sports Development Unit delivers a number of community activities for young people aged 11 - 16 (secondary school age) in the borough. This is being undertaken through a number of NRG (Energy) Youth Sports Clubs around the borough aimed at providing young people aged with the opportunity to take part in a range of sporting activities.

Street to Stadium

During every school holiday (except Christmas) the Sports Development Unit runs a Street to Stadium football competition for Under 14's and Under 16's. The competitions allow young people to form a team with their friends and enter a structured fun based event. The competitions, which are run at Astley Sports College in Dukinfield, provide young people from the community with the opportunity to play football in a competitive environment and put into practice the skills they pick up in the community sessions delivered by sports development.

Pathway into Sport Officer - Children's Fund

The scheme of work makes sport more accessible for children who are not presently engaged in activities in school or out of school. Pathway into sport works using a referral scheme through the network of learning mentors and other agencies throughout Tameside. The scheme is currently being piloted in Denton and Hyde.

Early Years Physical Activities Development Officer

The role of this project is to deliver a network of physical activity sessions for 0-4 year olds, to promote bonding with parents/carers and improve their health and fitness. Also train adults in TOP Start and Tots programmes. The role extends the provision already provided to older children by Tameside Sport Development service.

Assistant Youth Development Officer - Youth Offending Team

Project Aims

To contribute to the reduction of offending levels in the target population.
To work intensively with young people who are referred primarily by the ISSP but also those referred by case managers.
To provide increased sporting opportunities for the target population to develop themselves in locations and environments that they feel safe and comfortable in.
To offer opportunities for young people to access relevant training and volunteering opportunities.
To direct young people into mainstream sports clubs and activities.