I attended the Get Active Berkshire meeting today to discuss how more people could be involved in sport and exercise. The theme was how the Olympic legacy could be kept alive.
We discussed a wide range of issues. Can more of the volunteers from the Olympic now volunteer to run local sports clubs and events?
Can the LEAs offer use of the school sports facilities during holidays and in the evenings, where this is not already happening?
Should there be more high profile Berkshire events, like the successful Berkshire School sports day?
What more support can be given to parents and teachers, encouraging young people to take up more sporting activities?
How can adults be helped to overcome a lack of confidence which can come from not having been involved in sport for many years?
Can we have some coaches to get people started who may not have coaching qualifications but just like the chosen sport? Can we help more people become qualified coaches?
A lot of what is needed will be a mixture of Sports Club and Council leadership and volunteer activity. I am happy to help where appropriate, and look forward to your views on what we should all do next.
September 14, 2012
Note how there’ll be no Olympic legacy with regards to pistol shooting, since they’re still banned thanks to a combination of Michael Howard and Jack Straw. A particular shame given the recent paralympic success, since disabled people often cannot hold a rifle.
September 15, 2012
If only the same enthusiasm was devoted to education and science in particular.