Supporting a uK SucceSS Story: The impacT of - Research Councils ...

Sport Development
and Participation
As well as being home to numerous elite
athletes, UK universities focus the majority of
sporting activity on increasing participation;
generating new opportunities; and improving
the student experience through sport. Each
university, with support from BUCS, will
have or will be developing ways to increase
participation in sport and these initiatives
may include competitive programmes,
campus based activity, mass participation
events and community based initiatives.
The Sport Development Team at BUCS and
those within universities are also responsible
for developing relationships with partners
to improve sporting activities and increase
participation. These partners can include
National Governing Bodies, County Sport
Partnerships, community clubs and facilities,
academic departments and student unions.
Inspiring physical activity
‘UP for Sport’ is a sport coaching scheme run by the
University of Portsmouth, which provides opportunities for
university students to share their sporting expertise with
the local community. Students deliver structured coaching
sessions with the aim of inspiring sports participation,
improving performance and educating young people about
the benefits of taking part in physical activity.
During the build up to the London 2012 Games the
University of Portsmouth’s ‘UP for Sport’ volunteers are
running a number of events to encourage youngsters to get
involved in sport. One of these will involve over 250 pupils
from local primary and secondary schools competing in an
annual ‘streetdance’ competition. The pupils will be trained
in ‘streetdance’, (a hip-hop dance style made popular
on the streets of America), by University of Portsmouth
students. The best dancer in the competition will be offered
a dance scholarship to train with the university’s community
streetdance group Most Wanted.
The University of Ulster’s Sports Outreach programmes
encourage young people to be more active using the
Olympic and Paralympic Games as inspiration. It has
received national recognition and LOCOG has given the
London 2012 ‘Inspire’ mark to the Sports Outreach Unit’s
Sport for Life, Sport for Life Legacy and School Sport
Legacy programmes.
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SECTION FOUR : sport development and participation