Sports Development
Working in partnership with local and national agencies, schools, clubs and governing bodies to manage the development and delivery of local sport and recreation opportunities for the whole community. To develop and manage a volunteering package.
One of our objectives is to help Swindon achieve the national target of getting 1% of the population active year on year! To help achieve this target we deliver a number of projects including:
Return to Sport
As part of the Challenge Swindon More Active More Often initiative the Swindon Borough Council Leisure Services team are running an exciting new project aimed at beginners or people returning to sport. The 'Return to Sport' programme will initially feature four sports; Netball, Tennis and Badminton at various venues across Swindon. Each sport programme will consist of a 10-week programme led by a qualified and experienced coach with the emphasis on fun and enjoyment.
Corporate Leagues
The Swindon Corporate Leagues will be a series of competitive yet fun leagues in a variety of sports. Each league will be hosted at a central venue and will be made up of teams from the local business community.
Further Corporates Leagues covering range of sports will be set-up in 2010. If you're a local business wanting to participate in a particular sport please feel free to email Gladys Barr or call her on (01793) 511033.
Youth Disability Sport including Access Day
The Leisure Services Team offer a wide range of one-off and continuous sports sessions for children with a variety of disabilities. These sessions include trampoline clubs, multi-sports clubs and Access Day, a twice yearly multi-sports day that provides a variety of sports including climbing, ice skating, fencing, trampolining, basketball, dance to name but a few. Further programmes will be set-up throughout 2010 so please check this page regularly for updates.
Barclays Spaces for Sport (Quarry Road)
In 2007 the Leisure Services Team successfully secured a 3-year Barclays Spaces for Sport grant for the Quarry Road recreation site in Old Town. The team provided free sports sessions for children during the school spring and summer holiday periods. These sessions have proved to be very popular and the children have played games such as football, cricket, tag rugby, basketball, hockey, ultimate frisbee, tennis and other fun games such as dodgeball, invasion and bulldog.
Club Development
Club Development plays a massive part in increasing participation and raising standards. By providing better facilites, equipment, coaching and officiating, sport becomes a more attractive possibility. By improving these standards it is hoped that more people will participate in sport at all levels, helping Swindon to become a more active and healthier place to live.
The Leisure Services Team provide club development opportunities by offering assistance in gaining funding through Awards For All, Grass Roots Grants, Community Initiative Fund and Sports Forum Grants. The grants can be used to fund a whole range of activities, ranging from buying new kit to building a new clubhouse.
We also provide coach education and development opportunities, for further information see Coach Development and Coach Education pages.
Step into Sport
This programme enables young volunteers to develop leadership and other useful skills by taking part in high quality placements within a suitable local sporting environment. Volunteers are appointed trained mentors within their placements and schools to ensure a safe and enjoyable learning experience. National awards are gained for completing 50, 100, or 200 hours within one year whilst a county award for 20+ hours can also be achieved.
Volunteering hours can also be double counted towards National Governing Body volunteering awards, Millennium Volunteers (V), the Duke of Edinburgh Award and of course the 10 hours of volunteering required to complete the Level 1 Award in Community Sports Leadership. Participation activities can range from coaching and officiating to administration, fund raising and website design.