Member Article

Homeless helped by student sports-coaching scheme

Homeless groups in the North East will benefit from sports coaching as part of a £1million scheme to help tackle social problems and prepare the region for the 2012 Olympics. Student volunteers from the North East’s five universities will run regular sports sessions for the homeless through the scheme. Over 160 students from Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside universities providing physical activity sessions for over 15 homeless groups.

The coaching scheme, funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), forms part of a regional response to HEFCE’s aim of strengthening the higher education sector’s contribution to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.

Those running the scheme say the Games have the potential to inspire people to get involved in regular physical activity and encourage them to become volunteers in 2012. As well as working with homeless groups, the scheme will provide extra physical activity sessions to looked after children’s groups and local school children.

Dr Peter Warburton, Director of Sport at Durham University, said: “Over the last three years we have been working closely with partners to deliver sporting projects to disadvantaged groups and this will be a powerful extension of this work. With the 2012 Olympics close at hand this is a real opportunity for the universities and the region to work in partnership on a lasting legacy for the future.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .