|
While the nation was gripped by Sport Relief fever on Friday night, over
a hundred young people from Hindley gave Secretary of State for Culture,
Media and Sport Andy Burnham a Street Games lesson.
Proving that there are great opportunities for young people to get
active in the Wigan Borough, Andy joined Street Games ambassador and
former Commonwealth 800m Champion Diane Modahl at a regular Friday night
activity session at Hindley Sports Centre.
Organised by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust’s Sport Development Unit,
the session including football and dance, is just one of 20 regular
community sport events organised by the Trust. In 2007, 12,422 young
people took part in similar community sports activities in the borough.
The regular sessions include a variety of ‘Street Games’ including
football, athletics, squash, handball and dance, and have been
successfully supported through a £42,000 grant from the Football
Foundation. The climax to the activities is the chance for young people
from the Wigan Borough to take part in the North West Street Games at
SportCity, Manchester in August. Around 120 young people represented
Wigan at the 2007 event.
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust Chief Executive Rodney Hill said: “This
programme is helping to get young people physically and socially active
in the heart of their own communities. At the same time these free
activities are a chance for young people to have fun and use their time
positively, helping to prevent anti-social behaviour and youth nuisance.
We are delighted that the work we do here in Wigan is being acknowledged
and celebrated at ministerial level, as well as by Diane and our other
key partners.”
Up and down the country, Street Games delivers sport and dance to young
people where they want it, at times when they want it and in a style
they want. Street Games brings sport to young people from all
backgrounds who would like the chance to have fun and get active.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham MP said:
“It is vital that we provide our young people with as many opportunities
to take part in activities that have great short and long term physical
and social benefits. Street Games is an innovative, exciting concept and
I’m glad to see it really coming to fruition and having such an impact
in my own constituency.”
Diane Modahl who joined in the sport and dance sessions said: “Street
Games do an invaluable job to give children in communities across the
country a chance to enjoy physical activity and make new friends. Being
here tonight has been really inspirational and had brought back memories
of my own childhood – these activities really capture the imagination.
Street Games is about grassroots opportunities – we want to encourage
and motivate these children to help build self-confidence and teamwork.”
Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said:
“Football and other sports have a real ability to engage people, build
their self esteem and help them to reach their full potential. It is
thanks to the investment by our funding partners – the Premier League,
The Football Association and Government – that the Foundation exists to
support projects like Street Games in Wigan.”
Details of all the community sports sessions taking place across the
borough are available at
www.wbsc.org.uk or by contacting Wigan Sports Development on
01942 404982.
-ends-
Football Foundation: Funded equally by the Premier League, The FA and
Government, the Football Foundation is dedicated to revitalising the
grass roots of the game, constructing modern football facilities,
developing football as a force for social cohesion and as a vehicle for
education in communities throughout the country.
For further information contact Rory Carroll 0845 345 4555 Ext: 4280 or
email
rory.carroll@footballfoundation.org.uk See
www.footballfoundation.org.uk
►
Print this page
►
Return to Trust News
|
Sports Minister Swept Away by Wigan’s Street Games Success
|