Notts Sport Welcomes New Funding For School-site Sports clubs
New Government and Lottery funding to provide a community sports club at every secondary school in England is great news for boosting youth participation in sport, according to leading synthetic surfacing supplier Notts Sport.
Under the five-year youth and community sport strategy announced by Sport England and the Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt recently, every one of the 4,000 secondary schools in England will be offered a community sports club on its site as part of a £1 billion investment into grassroots sports participation.
The announcement has been welcomed by Notts Sport Chairman Shaun Patrick, who said it was a positive step towards encouraging young people to take up sport – and continue participating in it throughout their lives.
Shaun commented: “Having been involved with the creation of sports facilities for schools and local communities for many years, I’ve long held the view that if young people have access to first-class facilities and coaching throughout those crucial teenage years, then sport is much more likely to become a lifelong lifestyle choice.
“Indeed, sport is a great way to tackle a whole host of health and social problems, from obesity and depression to educational under-achievement and anti-social behaviour – and I passionately believe that providing the right environment is vital if we are to inspire greater participation in sport among young people.
“We cannot let the challenging economic climate stand in the way of this generation of young people getting access to the sports facilities they need and deserve – and that’s why here at Notts Sport we have introduced Fast Track Funding, which allows schools and councils to provide state-of-the art sports pitches at little or no upfront cost.”
With Fast Track Funding, Notts Sport works closely with the customer to design the bespoke sports facility that’s ideal for their requirements, with options including Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs), 3G artificial football pitches, hockey pitches and tennis courts.
Instead of the customer spending months or years applying for grants and waiting for funding, Notts Sport will provide a flexible funding solution with repayments spread over an agreed period to suit their specific budget. So depending on the customer’s requirements, Notts Sport could provide full funding for the facility up front or supply part of the cost to top up existing funds.
Most sports facilities are able to generate significant revenue through community use, and this income can be used to pay for a considerable proportion, if not all, of the cost of projects delivered under the scheme. Shaun added: “By making sure the funds are available to provide the right facilities for young people, they stand a much better chance of enjoying sport now and continuing participation in sport into adulthood, enjoying all the benefits an active lifestyle can bring.”
Notts Sport designed sports facilities are the cost-effective way to provide a wide range of sports and activities in one self-contained area, and are proven to be long-lasting options designed to minimise life costs for the operators.The company, which has over 27 years’ experience in the sports and play surfacing sector, also assures full quality control throughout the installation through its free project management service.
Learn more about Notts Sport visit www.nottssport.com
Date: 9th February 2012