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

“This initiative aims to give
thousands of students
across the higher education
sector a chance to try out a
new sport, or get back into
one they’ve tried before.”
Active Universities
In April 2010 Sport England, announced £10 million
National Lottery funding for ‘Active Universities’.
Supported by BUCS and the higher education sector,
this investment will give thousands of students a chance
to try out a new sport, or get back into one they’ve tried
before. Forty two projects involving 70 universities are
benefiting from this funding over three years. These
projects have developed innovative ways of engaging
more students in regular participation in sport, through
the employment of new coordinators, building new
relationships with National Governing Bodies of Sport
and developing new tools and resources to enhance
opportunities locally. Through Active Universities, Bucks
New University was awarded over £300,000 of National
Lottery funding from Sport England to revolutionise the
opportunities for students to participate in sport at the
university. The university has forged a close relationship
with England Hockey and supported the national launch
of their new participation programme ‘Rush’.
‘Rush’ hockey is a small-sided version of the
traditional game, with smaller pitches, smaller
teams and fewer rules. Through this adapted
version of the sport, England Hockey hopes to
build a lasting legacy which will continue long
after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games have finished. Through Active
Universities, Bucks New University has now
established a weekly regional Rush league.
The Active Universities project is also having
a major impact on sport at universities in
Nottingham, with new activities illustrating
how sport participation programmes can get
more people to be active regularly. The ‘Nu2
Sport’ project is a collaborative programme,
jointly managed by University of Nottingham
and Nottingham Trent University. In the first
term of activity the project offered a variety
of sports, including rugby and handball, and
resulted in more players taking part in the BUCS
competitions.
At the start of the year there was concern
that the university’s women’s rugby club was
struggling to attract players and was in danger
of losing their place in BUCS. To assist, the
‘Nu2 Sport’ project funded a six week block of
beginners only rugby, teaching girls the basics
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SECTION FOUR : sport development and participation