Manchester plays leading role as 1,600 young people get involved with Olympic Sportivate
Manchester is playing a leading role in the delivery of Sport England’s Sportivate initiative, according to recent reports.
More than 1,600 young people in Greater Manchester have been inspired to participate in sport in the first six months of the nationwide Olympic and Paralympic legacy scheme.
Manchester based organisation GreaterSport is running Sportivate in Greater Manchester and offer a range of sports for people to try including Rugby League inspired fitness classes for women in Wigan; trampolining for young people with disabilities and basketball for beginners.
Richard Saunders, Chief Executive of GreaterSport, said: “The success of Sportivate in Greater Manchester is due to a multi-agency approach, bringing together many organisations to provide fun, innovative sports sessions with strong links to local clubs and venues where people can continue with the sport they have tried.”
The Sportivate programme in Manchester is providing young adults with opportunities to step into coaching on the back of their participation in certain sporting activities, alongside sparking a desire to continue in sport.
Brett, who has been attending cycling sessions in Oldham, said: “I have attended most of the sessions and found them great fun. I’m more confident on a bike now and will be riding much more in the future.”
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Sport England’s Chair, Richard Lewis, said: “We’re delighted that so many young people in Greater Manchester have been inspired to get involved in sport through Sportivate. This is what the Olympic and Paralympic legacy is all about and it’s fantastic to hear about all those finding a new passion for sport.”
Sportivate is aimed at 14 to 25-year-olds who currently aren’t playing sport in their own time to give them the chance to participate in a sport they enjoy. They are then helped to find a club or venue where they continue to take part.
Sport England’s London 2012 Ticketshare initiative provides Sportivate participants who complete a sports course without missing more than one session to enter a ballot for free Olympic tickets.
Sportivate is funded by the National Lottery and is part of the Places People Play official Olympic legacy programme. The scheme will benefit hundreds of thousands of young people over the next four years.
To help inspire and motivate participants, GreaterSport’s Sporting Champions, a team of current and retired elite athletes, are visiting Sportivate sessions to share their experiences and enthusiasm for sport.
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