Written evidence from Gaynor Nash (OLL 16)

 

OLYMPIC LEGACY: CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, EAST MIDLANDS

 

Submission from Gaynor Nash, 2012 Legacy Coordinator, Children and Young People, East Midlands on behalf of 9 Local Authorities in the East Midlands

 

I began my five year post in June 2009. The five areas I am supporting are:

 

· increased participation in sport and physical activity by children and young people

· volunteering by children and young people

· educational opportunities provided by London 2012

· cultural activities for and involving children and young people

· internationalism

 

1. It is of particular significance that the 9 LAs in the East Midlands have placed key importance upon the Legacy from 2012 for Children and Young People. Leadership in this initiative was provided principally by John Sinnott, Chief Executive of Leicestershire County Council and recently honoured with CBE in the New Year's Honours List

 

2. The post links to that of Tracy Croft, 2012 Regional Coordinator based at emda and is strongly supported by CYPS within each of the authorities and by the 5 County Sports Partnerships

 

3. The post holder has over 25 years of experience within teaching and a further 7 years at Leicester City Council leading on Study Support and then Extended Services.

 

4.The post holder has linked effectively with staff at Loughborough University and has devised an Inspired by 2012 project called Musubi which builds upon the link between Loughborough University and the Japanese Olympic Committee which will use the University for a pre-Games Training Camp. Led by young people from South Wolds Community School the project creates a series of Musubi Days at LU for Specialist Language Colleges across the region. The South Wolds students lead on Japanese culture, customs, sport and language and the Day includes sushi making (good for the weight management agenda) and Taiko drumming. One College per term will attend Musubi Days with a grand Musubi Festival in summer 2012

 

5. Each College will run a Musubi Day for its neighbouring schools so that Musubi has the potential to create Legacy for thousands of East Midlands children and young people. There will be direct involvement for 450 schoolchildren and approximately 50 University students over the two and a half years. The first Musubi Day was on 13/11/09 for Campion School, Northamptonshire and was hugely successful. The next is on 10/3/10 for Aldercar School in Derbyshire

 

6. The Legacy Coordinator organised an event for Head Teachers on 19/11/09 entitled 'London 2012: What's In It For Me and My School' which was attended by 200 people from schools and LAs across the region. This was well received and judged by Get Set staff from London 2012 to be the biggest such event outside London so far. The Coordinator is planning subsequent events in Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Derbyshire in 2010.

 

7. The Coordinator is supporting recruitment to Get Set and the creation of Get Set Networks in the region. There has been an upsurge in both in recent months.

 

8. The Coordinator is planning further major projects including a Values Heptathlon to start in summer 2010, hopefully endorsed by Jessica Ennis

 

9. emda is providing great support for the Coordinator who is also backed by the Creative Programmer, the Igniting Ambition team and the Inspire Programmer

 

10. Plans are in draft for Sport and Culture Festivals in the summers of 2011 and 2012. These will be for semi-sporty young people and introduce them to sport and physical activity which is new to them. We will look to link to International Inspiration projects which have been running successfully in the region (Seb Coe visited Notts schools in May that have wonderful links to NE Brazil) and also to all things Japanese (and any other nations that run pre-Games Training Camps in the region. The Coordinator is supporting International Inspiration in the region and has attended briefings for schools around links with Nigeria.

 

11. The region is very strong in terms of Young Ambassadors, some of whom have been platform speakers at national Youth Sport Trust events alongside Baroness Campbell (Debbie Foote from Lincs and Oli Hooper from Derbs are excellent examples. The Coordinator is working with these YAs as role models for other young people in the region. The Coordinator is supporting the Loughborough Flames Inspired by 2012 project and linking with all 27 FE Institutions in the region through the FE Regional Coordinator as well as direct contact with many Colleges.

 

12. The Coordinator produces regular newsletters to keep all partners informed of developments linked to London 2012 and also serves as a conduit for information by forwarding news of Conferences, competitions and events related to Legacy.

 

13. The Coordinator is involved in discussions relating to the Torch Relay in the region and will ensure that the aspirations of the region's Children and Young People are reflected in the planning.

 

14. The values underpinning the Olympics and Paralympics are strongly reflected in the East Midlands approach to legacy for children and young people. To that end, where possible, children and young people will be consulted in the creation of opportunities specific to young East Midlanders.

 

15. Freer access to resources and sporting icons as role models would be a huge boost to ensuring a powerful lasting legacy for children and young people in the East Midlands.

 

January 2010