News

Mossley CRT Clubmark Presentation

Mossley CRT recently achieved Go-Ride Clubmark Accreditation. Friday 26th October saw one of the biggest highlights in the club's history when guests from all over the surrounding area gathered at Mossley Hollins High School for the presentation. Special guests included The Right Honourable James Purnell who is Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress for Tameside and Ben Swift, an extremely promising rider of Great Britain's U23 Olympic Academy, as well as many councillors and officers from the local borough.

"FRIENDSHIP CUP" at Y Squash, St Helens a "BIG HIT"

In recent years the Junior Squash Section of Clubmark accredited club, Y Squash St Helens has gained a creditable reputation for the development of young squash players, many of whom have gone on to represent Merseyside.

Spotlight on…Clare James from the Youth Sport Trust

Clare James, the latest recruit to the Clubmark Advisory Group, is a Development Manager with the Youth Sport Trust working predominantly in the NW and NE of the country. Clare started working with the Trust in Feb 2003 and originally started life with the YST in the WM, I guess it's fair to say that Clare's geography is improving! .

Clubmark club wins Junior Club of the Year

ATHLETES, coaches and volunteers from Amber Valley Athletic Club have been honoured with the title of Junior Club of the Year for the East Midlands region. The gala evening at the weekend was staged at the Hilton Hotel, East Midlands Airport by England Athletics, and supported by Heidsieck & Co Monopole champagne.  

Working together!... by Michael Nyarko, Sport England

With responsibilities for both Clubmark and School-Club links, I am probably best placed to update you on how Sport England is driving closer links between our schools, NGBS and their networks of high quality community sports clubs.

Case Studies

Can working with a partnership high school benefit Clubmark clubs? Lorem

Warrington School Sport Partnership is working to help move the Clubmark process along within WASSP.

Nunthorpe Eagles Volleyball Club uses school-club links to develop junior sections

This case study highlights the work, links and development of Nunthorpe Eagles Volleyball Club, which is Clubmark accredited (Volley 1).

Operational update

Links with Clubmark clubs... by Clare MacLeod, National Clubmark Manager

All Clubmark accredited clubs are required to demonstrate that at least one school-club link is in place. At the last count there are more than 3,300 accredited clubs creating an ever increasing network of high quality school club links.

However, I recognise that there is still much progress to be made in this area and over the coming year we will be working with partners and stakeholders to raise the awareness and profile of Clubmark clubs with teachers, PDMs and all those involved in the delivery of PE and school sport.

The latest TNS School Sport Survey found that "86% of pupils in schools within the School Sport Partnership Programme participated in at least two hours of high quality PE and out of hours school sport in a typical week."

Conversely, only 29% of pupils participated in one or more sports, dance or multi-skill club with links to the school. There is a huge opportunity to bridge this gap by:

• Continuing to increase the number and spread of Clubmark clubs.
• Increasing the number of links between schools and  Clubmark accredited clubs.
• Improving the knowledge and understanding of Clubmark of those responsible for directing pupils to community clubs.
• Raising the awareness of local Clubmark accredited clubs with parents, teachers, PDMs and young people themselves.

Our licensing NGB and CSP partners are working hard to increase the number of accredited clubs and part of raising the profile of Clubmark amongst the education sector has seen Clubmark on the road. As the National Clubmark Manager I recently had the opportunity to participate at the YST School Sports and Special Schools Sports conferences, held recently at Telford and Nottingham respectively.

I was particularly heartened to hear how PDMs are now looking for Clubmark as the first port of call when fostering school club links. Indeed, one PDM in Surrey will only use Clubmark accredited clubs in determining its school club links.

And with vital data at our fingertips concerning the geographical location of Clubmark clubs in relation to schools, we will be able to identify a clear picture of areas of strength as well as current gaps that need to be filled.

Summary of accredited clubs

Congratulations to the clubs accredited in November