Step Into Sports
The Step Into Sports programme aims to encourage young people aged 14 -19 years to undertake involvement in sports leadership and volunteering that will continue later in life. It has been designed to establish a framework of co-ordinated opportunities at a local level, to enable young people to begin and sustain an involvement in leadership and volunteering through sport. The Step Into Sport programme requires clubs to appoint a Volunteer Co-ordinator to act as a liaison in this programme and as a mentor for the volunteer. A short briefing session will be provided for this individual.
The benefits of the Step Into Sports programme to sports clubs and community organisations are as follows:
- It provides access to a new network of volunteers with an interest in, and commitment to, sport and their local community.
- It provides training and resources to prepare clubs to receive and support sports volunteers.
- It provides formal links to the school sport partnerships involved in the project – potential new members and volunteers.
- Participation can relieve workload for current coaching staff due to the assistance from young leaders.
- Participation can relieve workload for current committee members due to the assistance from young volunteers.
- It provides access to further resources that may improve the structure of the organisation.
Volunteers have a set number of volunteering hours to complete (50/ 100/ 200 hours) over the course of the programme which runs from April 2005. They will be able to shadow coaches, or assist in any administrative or marketing exercises, your organisation deems suitable. The deployment of volunteers will depend upon the numbers volunteering and, due to their age, the location of your club in relation to their home/ school. A briefing evening is being organised where the prospective volunteers and the clubs involved will attend and meet. If you are interested and your club is considered suitable, you will receive more information regarding this in the near future. I have also enclosed a leaflet containing more information about the programme.
In order for your club to participate as a possible placement for Step into Sports, it will need to have certain minimum requirements in place. I will be able to assist your club in meeting these requirements. They are as follows:
- Child Protection Policy (National Governing Body adopted or suitable other).
- Volunteer Co-ordinator/ Mentor (a short training session will be provided at no cost).
- Affiliation to the relevant National Governing Body.
- All staff directly supervising children have been CRB checked.
- All coaching staff should be suitably qualified in accordance with NGB guidelines.
If your club is interested in participating in the programme, please click on the link below and e-mail your details to the Club Development Officer.
Click to state your clubs’ interest in the Step Into Sports Scheme for 2007/08.
If you are aged between 14 and 19 and attend a school in Walsall, and would like to participate in the Step Into Sports Scheme in 2006 please click on the link below to request more information regarding the scheme in Walsall
For further information for the Youth Sport Trust, please visit www.youthsporttrust.org/page/step-into-sport with official information regarding Step Into Sports.
Contact us
Richard Bradford
Club Development Officer
Sport and Leisure Development Services
Library Building
Walsall Street
Willenhall
West Midlands
WV13 2EX
Telephone 01902605500
Fax 01902605752
Email BradfordR@walsall.gov.uk