Sport England Turns to Great Yarmouth for Know-How
Community partnership working through Great Yarmouth Sports Partnership (GYSP) operates so well a Council officer has been seconded to Sport England East to help other areas follow suit.
Sport England East has recognised the Great Yarmouth Sports Partnership as one of the best in the region, and has recruited Community Services Section Head Marie Hartley to help it support and develop similar sport networks across the whole of the eastern region.
Marie is working with the Government body three days a week to aid local authorities throughout the Eastern counties form partnerships the Great Yarmouth way.
The Government has set a national target to increase the number of people taking part in sport and active recreation in England by one per cent annually.
To achieve this a new system for the delivery of sport and active recreation has been introduced, which sees Sport England committed to developing community sport networks in each local authority area.
Marie and the GYSP has brought funding of almost £500,000 to the Borough to promote activities such as the Positive Futures initiative which engages young people in sport skills as a way of reducing anti-social behaviour and developing coaching skills which could lead to employment.
LEAP (Local Exercise Action Plan) is another success story. It addresses weight management, encourages walking and exercise such as Aerobics.
GYSP works with organisations such as the Great Yarmouth Disability Forum, Cliff Park Specialist Sports College, the Primary Care Trust, NACRO, local sports council, youth offending team, Norfolk Youth & Community Services, and local community associations – who all share an interest in using sport to address broader issues such as health improvement, crime diversion and social inclusion.
“In Great Yarmouth part of our success has been due to working closely with the Local Strategic Working Partnership (LSP) a body whose aim is to bring together private, public, community and voluntary sector organisations to tackle issues which require aid from several organisations,” explained Marie.
“This has helped to develop a close working partnership between bodies who can provide help to encourage sport or exercise, with the organisations and individuals that use them.
“Over the last year representatives from our sports partnership have spoken at regional conferences explaining how Great Yarmouth Sports Partnership works and the success we have achieved.
“For the next three months I will be working with local authorities in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridge to advise on the development of community sports networks and access to Community Investment Funding.
Although Marie is on secondment the Borough isn’t loosing out, the Great Yarmouth Sports Partnership recently adopted its 2007/8 action plan and is now preparing to submit an application for Community Investment Funding for a project which is to be announced later.
“Having Marie seconded to Sport England East is a great honour for the Borough,” said Councillor Bert Collins Cabinet Member with responsibility for Enterprise, Tourism and Culture. “It just shows how much the Sports Partnership has achieved and I can only urge residents to use the opportunities for participation.”
For further information on Great Yarmouth Sports Partnership contact Marie Hartley on 01493 846354 or email mlh@great-yarmouth.gov.uk.