Dec 07 Monthly Blog

Welcome to our December Blog for a month which has seen further developments around the future Public Service Agreements for sport and related funding through the Comprehensive Spending Review. The up to date position is as follows:

• James Purnell has stated that Sport England's prioirty will be to deliver a world class community sports development, with a particular focus on talent development and excellence
• Sport England will have to develop a strategy (08-11) for this (facilities, clubs, coaches, volunteers and clear pathways to excellence). A headline strategy will be prespared for DCMS by the end of January 2008, followed by a more detailed business plan which must be in place by March 2008 and will be subject to external scrutiny
• A scrutiny group will work with Sport England on the strategy. The group's members include Steve Grainger (Youth Sport Trust), Richard Lewis (Rugby Football League) and Ged Roddy (Chair of the South West Regional Sports Board)
• The new strategy will include plans to increase partcipation in sport as a contribution to getting two milion more people active by 2012
• Sport England's future investment will focus on the "tighter definition" of sport. The precise definition of sport has yet to be agreed
• James Purnell also underlines the critical role National Governing Bodies will play in delivering our strategy and has spoken positively of a "whole sport" approach to a single stream of funding
• Sport England will continue to work with adults and young people (age five upwards). Sport England will continue to play an important role in school sport and the 5 hour offer
  

You may also know that Derek Mapp has resigned as Chair of Sport England. More

In this end of year edition we celebrate the East's sports achievers and unsung heroes receiving the recognition they deserve at the first BBC East - Sport England regional awards (see Promote below), the launch of the Facilitiy Improvement Service and the region getting together for the Rising to the Challenge conference (see Advise below).

All that remains is to wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.



Chris Perks
Regional Director

Advise

Annual Review for the East of England 2006-2007 and Half Year update
Find out how we have been doing in sustaining and increasing participation in community sport. More

Also now available is our Half Year Update (2007-2008). More

Rising to the Challenge of 2012 with Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards was guest of honour to launch the Rising to the Challenge Business Plan at Newmarket Racecourse on Nov 13. The annual conference featured presentations and workshops on making the most out of 2012 for the East of England and included interactive displays and demonstrations in the marketplace area. Find out what Jonathan thought of the conference, including his dancing experience, on his London 2012 Blog. More

New alliance to build culture and sport into communities
Living Places, a powerful new partnership of cultural and sporting bodies and Government departments, has launched an eight point action plan to bring the benefits of culture and sport to communities. More

England's survey of children's leisure, culture and sport
The latest Taking Part Children's Survey is now available via our website. One of the Government's aims is to improve the quality of life for everyone, by providing people with the chance to get involved with a variety of sports, arts and cultural activities. More

Invest
Creating Active Places

Creating Active Places, the sports facilities strategy for the East of England has been launched. Check out the strategy and executive summary here.

£500,000 refurbishment at world class sports club unveiled
Hunts County Squash Club (HCSC), the centre of squash excellence for the eastern region, unveiled its world class refurbished facilities at a launch event in October.

The development at the Pavilion at Hemingford complex is the result of a £500,000 investment programme supported by Sport England and England Squash. HCSC is home to The Sports Academy, which has nurtured many of the UK’s leading young squash players, many of whom have gone on to compete at the very highest international level. More

Promote

The East's sporting achievers and unsung heros honoured at Duxford

Look East's Stewart White compered the first joint BBC East and Sport England Sports Awards which took place at the magnificent setting of the American Air Museum at Duxford. Under the wings of Americian Aviation history, 180 guests saw awards across ten categories celebrating both sporting achievement and the unsung heroes.
More

Active Norfolk launches marketing toolkit

A new resource and training programme from Active Norfolk is aiming to help sports clubs and facilities survive and grow in an increasingly competitive and demanding market. The new toolkit and accompanying courses and clinics are designed to tackle some of the issues they face such as how to attract new members and retain the existing ones, become a hub of the community, grow sponsorship revenue, increase attendances, improve the social life of the club, increase media coverage, benefit from new technology and introduce new revenue streams. More