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Young people in Cumbria urged to get out and give sport a go in Olympic legacy push

Master-logo-with-SE-and-Places-People-Play

£194,000 of Lottery investment in Cumbria, will give at least 2,430 local young people the opportunity to take part in activities.

14th June 2011

  • Legacy programme to get 2,430 young people across Cumbria playing sport
  • Chance to win London 2012 tickets for those who remain regular participants


Thousands of teenagers and young adults across Cumbria are to benefit from a new sports programme that aims to fulfil the legacy promise made by Seb Coe in Singapore in 2005 to 'inspire young people to choose sport'.

Sportivate will give 14- to 25-year-olds the chance to receive six to eight weeks of coaching in a sport of their choice. Launched by Sport England and Active Cumbria today, the £32 million National Lottery-funded project will help those who aren't currently playing sport in their own time to get out and give sport a go.

As part of the Places People Play mass participation legacy programme, Sportivate will see 300,000 teenagers and young adults across England completing sports courses over four years.

Thanks to £194,000 of Lottery investment in Cumbria, at least 2,430 local people will be able to take part in activities such as:

• Netball
• Badminton
• Paddlesport
• Zumba
• Climbing
• Dodgeball
• Fishing
• Dance

Sport England's Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said:

"Lots of young people think sport isn't for them. I would like them to have the chance to discover whether there is a sport they really enjoy, so this programme is all about choice.  Everyone who takes part will receive high quality coaching - giving them the confidence and skills which will make them want to keep playing in the future." 

Richard Johnston, Partnership Manager at Active Cumbria said:

"The roll out of the Sportivate project in Cumbria presents the young people of the county with a fantastic opportunity to try out new sports. It is my hope that through this project we can use the inspiration of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games to get many more young people playing sport on a regular basis, leading to lifetime participation."

Today's announcement was welcomed by the Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson MP, and Commonwealth Games medalist, Zoë Smith.

Hugh Robertson:

"This £32 million Lottery programme launched by Sport England will give hundreds of thousands of teenagers and young adults across the country the opportunity to try out and get coached in the sport of their choice. I'm sure these same young people will also be inspired when the world's greatest athletes compete here at next summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games and will then want to stay involved in sport for many years to come."

Zoë Smith became the youngest ever weightlifting Commonwealth medalist when she won bronze at the 2010 Delhi Games at the age of 16. Zoë, who now has her sights set on competing at London 2012, said:

"Getting the chance to get out and try a new sport is fantastic. I didn't take up my sport until I was 12, so it just shows if you're up for some fun and trying something new, you can find a sport you really want to stick with."

Active Cumbria will work with local providers and sports clubs to help 14- to 25-year-olds in Cumbria to continue playing sport long after they have completed the course.

As an additional incentive, teenagers and young adults who stick with sport will have the chance to enter a ballot for free London 2012 tickets. Sport England has hundreds of Olympic and Paralympic tickets available for Sportivate participants via the London 2012 Ticketshare initiative.

In order to be eligible for London 2012 Ticketshare, participants will need to complete the sports course, missing no more than one session, and then continue to participate in sport for at least three months.

Sportivate is an inclusive programme that will create opportunities for disabled and non-disabled participants.

ENDS
Notes to Editors

Sport England

Sport England will invest £8 million of National Lottery funding per year over the next four years into Sportivate.

Sport England is focused on the delivery of a mass participation legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We invest National Lottery and Exchequer funding in organisations and projects that will grow and sustain participation in grassroots sport and create opportunities for people to excel at their chosen sport.

Sporting Champions

Sporting Champions is a Sport England initiative bringing world-class athletes face-to-face with young people and young adults to inspire and motivate them. For more information, please visit the Sporting Champions website.

Active Cumbria The Sport and Physical Activity Partnership 01228 226885
Emma Martin, Marketing & Communications Officer 01228 221263 emma.martin@cumbriacc.gov.uk
Richard Johnston, Partnership Manager 01228 221255 richard.johnston@cumbriacc.gov.uk

London 2012 Ticketshare

London 2012 Ticketshare is an exciting initiative that will allow many individuals who would not normally have access to the Olympic and Paralympic Games the chance to attend. Tickets are funded through a levy on London 2012 Prestige Ticketing hospitality packages.