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Sports Foundation pick up England Athletics Partnership Award

The England Athletics Regional Club and Partnership Award was presented to the North of Tyne Athletics Network and the Tony Blair Sports Foundation (TBSF) at the awards evening held at Durham County Cricket Club on Monday night.

The North of Tyne Athletics Network which is made up from North Shields Polytechnic Athletics Club, Heaton Harriers, Claremont Road Runners, Wallsend Harriers and the Tony Blair Sports Foundation have worked closely together since October 2009 to promote and develop athletics within the local communities of North Tyneside, Heaton and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Within its first 12 weeks it worked alongside England Athletics and Whitley Bay Community High School to host and facilitate a Level 1 coaching education course, recruiting volunteers from as far a field as Morpeth, Gosforth, Heaton, North Shields and Blyth, with 100% funding provided through TBSF and the partner clubs.

Alongside this the partnership has developed community links to include Northumbria University and Tyne Met College, offering students opportunities to enhance their academic qualifications by providing vocational placements within TBSF, North Tyneside Council, John Spence Schools Sports Partnership and the Percy Hedley Foundation.

The partnership now has a business development plan endorsed by England Athletics to grow and sustain athletics within the North of Tyne region which will include inter club competitions, youth development through school links and further expansion of network partners.

Receiving the award Jeanette Pickard, Chief Executive of the Tony Blair Sports Foundation said:

“I’d like to thank Ian Woodward, Chair of North Shields Poly AC for nominating us for this award. TBSF is all about bringing more volunteers, coaches and officials to sport in the north east. Working in partnership with NOTAN is fantastic as we can work with a cluster of clubs which means we can identify where the coaches are, how many new coaches are needed, at what level and in what discipline.

We then recruit new people, train them and place them back with the clubs which means the clubs then have the capacity to increase their membership and introduce new programmes such as school-club links which can only increase the number of children and young people getting involved in athletics across our region.”

The partnership was praised for being so successful in such a short time by Andy Lee, England Athletics Team Manager for the North who said that the success proved what could be achieved by clubs working together and involving other community organisations.  In 12 months NOTAN has made great progress including:

• The recruitment and retention of 28 new Level 1 coaches and 3 new Level 2 coaches
• Providing opportunities for 336 new children to participate in athletics at a grassroots level
• Forming after school athletics clubs
• Producing a promotional DVD through TBSF with Brendan Foster
• Creation of North of Tyne Athletics Network (NOTAN) to include: TBSF, Tyne and Wear Sport, Northumbria University, North Tyneside Council, Tyne Met College, North Shields Poly AC, Claremont Road Runners, Heaton Harriers and Wallsend Harriers.
• Successful funding application to McCain Athletics Network with secured 3 year funding
• Employment of Network Co-ordinator from July 2010

Tommy Brannon who is Chair of the network and also a runner and a coach at North Shields Poly AC was delighted to be given the award saying:

“It’s a great honour to have received the award on behalf of everyone involved with NOTAN. Without the support of the Tony Blair Sports Foundation the recruitment and retention of coaches and officials could not have happened. Their Community Ambassadors programme has enabled the Network to open doors that appeared closed.  They provide people with an opportunity for self-development, and recognition of the skills that they possess.

Our development plan was created in the knowledge that the Tony Blair Sports Foundation would be there offering the support that is most vitally needed in establishing coaching and official education frameworks. Without them, the Network could not have achieved what it has. Thank you.”

If anyone is interested in getting involved in athletics in the North of Tyne area please email  info@tonyblairsportsfoundation.org