Member Article

NORTH EAST COMMUNITY PROJECTS GRANTED £23,000 FROM SPORTED

NORTH EAST COMMUNITY PROJECTS RECEIVE FUNDING FROM LEADING SPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT CHARITY TO FULFILL OLYMPIC LEGACY

TOTAL OF £23,000 RECEIVED FROM SPORTED

Sported, the UK’s leading sport for development charity, has awarded grants totalling over £23,000 at its recent panel to grow and sustain sport for development projects in the North East.

A free membership organisation created to help deliver a sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympics, Sportedhelps to transform the lives of disadvantaged youth by supporting community and voluntary groups delivering sport for development; helping them grow and run their organisations to the best of their ability. It provides the business support and funding groups need, allowing them to not only become sustainable, but allowing them to focus on what they do best – inspiring young people through sport.

Included in the total funding fromSportedfor the North East region were two large grants spread over three years for projects that have worked withSportedVolunteer Mentors over recent months, Newburn Judo Club and Westgate Junior Football Club.

Newburn Judo club received £9,720 towards a three year sustainable junior development programme. This will give young members of the club the opportunity to gain qualifications, experience in organising, running and evaluating events and developing a range of skills for life and work place. The grant will also enable the club to work further towards being ‘a club for all’ increasing provision for disabled young people to undertake Judo and those from disadvantaged communities.

Joe Laws, Head Coach at Newburn Judo Club, said ‘Sportedhave supported us to strengthen our offer to young people and invest in their development. With the business plan that we have produced with the support of theSportedMentor and the three year grant, we can really achieve a lot for young people including improving employability, skills development and confidence. This will make a difference in our communities for years to come.’

Westgate Junior Football Club secured £8,223 towards the provision of Friday night football sessions, open to young people from the local community regardless of skill or ability. The grant will enable the club to secure, sustain and develop this provision over the next three years. The sessions, which were introduced last year, have proved successful in bringing young people from different sections of the community together promoting social cohesion and respect. The sessions will also enable the club to promote healthy lifestyle messages, and develop strong role models by up-skilling young people and members of the local community through coaching qualifications.

‘OurSportedmentor, Sue, has done a great job with us.’ said Keith Morris from Westgate Juniors. ‘Her involvement gave us the confidence to put a larger funding bid together for the first time and has secured our development for the next 3 years. We can get the proper equipment the session needs now, instead of borrowing things, and ensure we have the skills to work with more young people in the community. The support fromSportedhas been great, firstly the mentoring and also the funding.’

Other grants were made as part of theSportedsmall grant scheme totalling over £5,000 to groups with a turnover of less than £50,000 and who were not in receipt of a Sported Mentor. Recipients included:

• Easington Welfare Angling Club -£2,000 to purchase equipment for the start-up of a junior section, aimed to cut crime and antisocial behaviour in the area and to develop young people’s life skills.

• South Tyneside Basketball Club - £1,125 to introduce more young people to basketball and the organisations work on healthy lifestyle, and life skills development.

Sandra Hillyards,SportedRegional Manager for the North East, commented ‘It’s great to see the difference that community organisations using sport and physical activity make in changing the lives and opportunities of disadvantaged young people. I am delighted we have been able to make a difference to these groups to help them continue and develop their fantastic work. I would like to invite more groups to join us so that they can too benefit and people with business skills to become Mentors and part of Sported in the North East.’.

Projects can apply for FREE membership, and new individuals with business skills and experience are invited to apply for our volunteer Mentor role atwww.sported.org.uk

For further information please contact:

Sandra Hillyard

North East Manager, Sported

M: 07775 602137

s.hillyard@sported.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sandra Hillyard .