Courtesy: This is Wiltshire


Battle continues for school sport

by Owen Houlihan and Dan Barnes

LOCAL sports stars have rallied to the cause despite the government’s partial U-turn on plans to axe School Sports Partnerships.

The campaign against the cuts, announced in October, bore some fruit earlier this week when £65 million of funding to promote competitive sports in schools nationally was announced.

A further £47 million is being made available to allow the partnerships to continue up to the end of the academic year in summer 2011.

The £65 million from the Department for Education’s budget for the period to 2013/14 will then allow every secondary school to release one PE teacher for a day a week to ‘embed’ the benefits from the scheme into its sports provision, aiming to encourage greater take-up of competitive sport in primary schools and increase the amount of competition.

The national campaign to save the partnerships was backed by Olympic champions Denise Lewis and Darren Campbell.

Calne cricketer Liam Dawson, who plays for Hampshire, said cutting funding was a “stupid idea’’ with the 2012 Olympics looming.

He added: “Surely the country should be promoting sport at this time, not putting it at the back of the room?

“I used to look forward to sport at school. it got people involved, especially those who didn’t enjoy school so much, like myself.’’

Seend footballer Luke Ballinger, the captain of England’s Futsal team has organised competitions in the small-sided game in the county and added: “I think it’s a disgrace really.

“They’re trying to get kids interested in playing sport but then they’re cutting the money so that they can’t do it.

“Me and my uncle (Chris, of Chippenham Futsal Club) work hard to put things together for kids and to get people interested in playing my sport and funding helps that so it’s going to be really difficult if they cut the budget.

Ballinger, who plays in the Southern League for Frome Town added: “It’s good to get kids out trying out sports, rather than sitting at home on the games console or whatever and be competitive along the way.’’

Partnership managers are now turning their attention to sports’ governing bodies and business to help them maintain their work.

Lee Ward, the senior competition manager for the Mid-Wilts partnership based at Devizes School said: “We’re pleased that the government has had a rethink and the campaign and the coverage has been unprecedented for school sport.

“Unfortunately, the money they are talking about won’t be enough to keep the whole School Sport Partnership network in place.

“What we won’t have is these co-ordinators in the primary schools, which is something we think is very important.

“We will be doing work to get additional support.’’


Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com