June 2015
The Story Homes School Sports programme is set to grow once again, moving into new regions in Cumbria and Lancashire.
Heading into its fourth year, the 2015/16 programme will support ten local schools, with Eden, South Lakeland and Lancaster areas joining Allerdale, Copeland and Carlisle.
The SPAAF coaches
A number of schools have already been selected by Story Homes and SPAAF to receive an application pack, sent out on 5 June 2015, with a deadline of 26 June 2015 for the completed application forms to be returned.
Three schools from Carlisle, two from Allerdale, two from Copeland, one from Eden, one from South Lakeland and one from Lancaster will be chosen, judged on which schools will benefit most from the Story Homes funded coaching.
Since the school sports programme started in 2012, it has grown to support nine Primary Schools with funded sports coaching, delivered by the Sport and Physical Activity Alliance Foundation (SPAAF) coaches.
Hundreds of pupils have benefitted from weekly coaching sessions; learning new skills, teamwork, staying healthy and having fun through sport. An annual sports festival for all of the schools celebrated the new skills learned throughout the year.
Feedback from the schools has proved that the children have enjoyed the sports coaching and also benefitted greatly from learning new skills and taking part in regular physical activity with the SPAAF coaches.
Robert Ferguson Primary School in Carlisle commented: “The school has used the scheme for all of the children in all classes throughout the school. Each year group has had six weeks of PE through the Story Homes scheme and have done a variety of sports, games and skills. With the limited equipment the school has it has been really beneficial that the coach brings equipment with them and therefore children can play new games they are not used to.”
Fred Story, Chairman of Story Homes said: “I’m pleased that the scheme is going to reach new areas and support new schools and different groups of children. We started the programme in 2012 as an opportunity for us to help local school children have fun through sport, and also learn new skills, keep active and improve their health and wellbeing at the same time.
“The aim is to achieve some long term benefits for the pupils and their families and raise the aspirations of school pupils. It is very rewarding to hear that the children are enjoying the programme and the sports’ coaching is making a difference to their lives.”
If your school has not received an application pack but you would like the chance to participate, please contact Karen Graham, PR and Communications Adviser on 01228 404550.
