My Community Sport Project

The St. Ann’s & Sneinton EIP has been successful in gaining ‘Community Investment Funding’ from Sport England to create a sustainable, quality and progressive community sports programme which encompasses a volunteer infrastructure for four EIP areas of the city: St. Ann’s & Sneinton, Bilborough (William Sharp schools) Bulwell and Clifton.

The total project costs are over £500,000 with a substantial contribution from Sport England.

Other partners in the project include: Capital One, Learning and Skills Council, South Notts College, St Ann’s & Sneinton EIP, Keys to Success EIP, Bulwell EAZ and City South EIP.

The project intends to build on an innovative pilot community sports programme originally developed by St Ann’s EIP, Capital One and a wide range of local sporting and community partners. It will also establish a community sports volunteering and coach training model, developed by South Notts College, allowing high levels of sports resource to be deployed.

The key to this project is the sustainability of the increase in sporting activity and skill levels. This will allow the local needs to be met on a long term not just project-life basis.

It will establish:

• A community sports volunteering and coach training model
• Sports networks in each of the areas in order to share good practice and consult on local, regional and national developments
• A structure of volunteers and training to deliver physical activity and well being initiatives in schools and community sites.

Key Aims of the Programme:

• To build on the innovative pilot community sports programme developed through St Ann’s Education Partnership, Capital One and a wide range of local sporting and community partners
• To establish the community sports volunteering and coach training model developed by South Nottingham College, allowing high levels of sports resource to be deployed
• To ensure its sustainability by the agreement of a robust local sports delivery partnership
• To increase community participation in sport and physical activity, improving health and wellbeing
• To increase community skill levels
• This model allows effective community sport development through an interdependent programme of:
  - After school clubs
  - Weekend clubs
  - Volunteer recruitment and support (parents, community, FE students and Capital One staff)
  - Coach training and mentoring
  - Early identification of talent
  - Progression routes (performance pathways for the gifted and talented/elite)
  - Development of very local sports sites (particularly opening up schools)
  - Celebrations of achievement – performances, festivals, games and awards

Main Objectives of the Programme:

• To develop and sustain three emerging community sports clubs in St Ann’s
• To establish and develop two new community sports clubs in Sneinton, two in Bilborough, one in Bulwell and one in Clifton
• To embed and develop effective local sports partnerships including EIPs, FE, private sector, schools, play teams, youth teams, sports development, local regeneration groups, sports associations, sports clubs, voluntary sector, sports centres, City Council, SSP’s and the community
• Continue to develop the project in close partnership with Capital One and their Capital One Network (which includes Nottingham Forest, Notts Country, Nottingham Rugby, and Nott’s Cricket). They have been key partners in terms of staffing, support and strategy from the outset
• Attract existing national and regional clubs to have satellite bases in St Ann’s & Sneinton, Bilborough, Bulwell and Clifton for talent identification and development
• Develop a large bank of local FE student sports volunteers to lead activity to allow expansion of provision
• Develop a bank of qualified local coaches who are able deliver sports programmes for children, families and adults (in each area), by delivery of mentoring and courses
• Develop community sports facilities (in each area) that are suitable for hosting increased local provision. Two college sites have been identified as well as a number of school sites
• Increase the number of parents and other volunteers involved in the delivery and development of local sport, through taster sessions, local games, celebrating success, training and support. The project will be managed by Emma Brown, Community Sports Manager based at St. Ann’s & Sneinton EIP and Jo Ridgeley, Volunteer Coordinator based at South Nottingham College