'This united community drives forward' says local sports partnership after 20 years
By The View - North West Leicestershire
THE North West Leicestershire School Sports Partnership (NWLSSP) is celebrating its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of collaborative work to improve PE, school sport and physical activity opportunities for young people across the district.
Part of a national initiative to create School Sport Partnerships, NWLSSP has been based at King Edward VII School– now called The Castle Rock School and a part of Lionheart Educational Trust – since its formation. The partnership now works with 42 member schools, including 36 primary schools, five secondary schools and one specialist school.
Throughout the past 20 years, the partnership has focused on ensuring that young people in North West Leicestershire have access to a broad range of opportunities to lead active and healthy lives.
Its programme includes support for high quality PE, professional development for staff and an extensive calendar of sporting events. Each year more than 100 events take place across a wide variety of sports such as gymnastics, athletics, basketball, football and archery. These events involve almost 1,000 school teams and over 10,000 pupils.
The partnership also provides leadership training for both primary and secondary pupils.
More than 100 secondary students complete nationally recognised leadership courses each year through NWLSSP and more than 600 primary school pupils are trained as playground leaders to support activity in their own schools.
In 2011, national funding for School Sport Partnerships was removed, leading to the closure of many partnerships across the country. NWLSSP continued to operate because every school in the district chose to contribute to the partnership. This collective commitment has helped sustain and strengthen its work over the past two decades.
Brian Rushe, Director of Sport and Community Development, said: “The strength of the North West Leicestershire School Sports Partnership lies in its collective of 42 schools, staff, parents, pupils, community clubs, local and national partners, sponsors and our incredible team past and present.
“Together, this united community drives forward pupils first, high quality PE and school sport across North West Leicestershire.
“Whatever the future may hold, one thing remains certain: our commitment endures and our success belongs to everyone who contributes to this outstanding community.”
As NWLSSP moves into its third decade, it says it continues to build on its founding principle that every young person deserves the chance to take part, develop confidence and enjoy being active.
