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Southport YMCA has successfully obtained £117,950
from The Big Lottery Young Peoples’ Fund
for The Bridge Project.
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Project Outline
The bridge project focuses upon the community cohesion between
young people who love to skate and the older person population in Southport, Merseyside.
To work with young skaters to form a self governing Multi-Roller sports hub including hockey,
speed, freestyle, acrobatic, half pipe and skateboard disciplines that could be replicated
in other regions.
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To form the basis of a club and competitive structure with a governing body that
includes young people themselves, and is recognised by and affiliated to major UK
sporting bodies. |
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To develop the
BRSF Basic Skills programme (Skate Smart) to form an NGB accredited award scheme for
aggressive skating and skateboarding designed by and delivered by young people
themselves. |
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To assist young
people to achieve accredited outcomes via level 1 and 2 coaching awards and Sports
Leaders awards in order that they may pass on their skills to other young people. |
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To empower young
skaters to work in a positive and constructive way with the local authority to develop
their facilities and tackle the negative perception of the sport locally. |
Part of the funding will be utilised to fund
a full time Development Officer and a team of youth workers and skate coaches for 3 years
whose mission will be, in consultation with young people to overturn negative and destructive
behaviour into constructive sports participation and empower Southport young people to have
an impact on the development of their sport nationally and internationally at what is
strategically a very exciting time for Rollersports.
Young people have and will be involved throughout the project including the recruitment of
staff delivering it and a further event has been arranged for Saturday 24th February
4.30pm-7pm at Southport YMCA for all the Southport skating community to find out more. On
this day young skaters and skateboarders from 11 to 25 will be free to board, blade and BMX
in the YMCA hall free of charge, provided the facility is treated with respect.
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Jill Rothwell, Physical Activity Manager from Southport YMCA said:
“Following two years of delivering the Skate Smart programme
at Southport YMCA, every young person completing the programme asks for more. They want
recognition for their achievement and this project allows them to design exactly what they
want whilst empowering them to influence the management of their sport and address
sensitive community issues in partnership with the police.” |
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Joanne Shakeshaft (Title) Merseyside Police said:
“This is a fantastic project.Any initiative which
encourages youths getting involved in new exciting sports and also being awarded for
their progress is a positive step.The YMCA is a safe enviroment and its staff are
committed in engaging with our youths at all levels.” |
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John Chapman, General Secretary of the BRSF said:
“The BRSF endorses this project whole heartedly as it puts
into action those ideals that the body has been promoting for some years, we hope that
this project will help increase the awareness of Roller Skating in all its forms and help
build a generation of skaters who will expand on the work done by taking it to an even
bigger audience.” |
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