WorkinginPartnershiptotransformthesportsworkforceacross
Cumbria–TheSportsWorkforceEducationProgramme(SWEP)
1.
Background
Overanumberofyears,ActiveCumbriahascreatedastrongandinnovativeworkingrelationshipwithcommercial
partnerNewBalanceAthleticsShoesLtd.
Throughthispartnership,ActiveCumbriahavebeenabletoproactivelyincreasetheamountofinvestmentcoming
intoCumbriatodevelopthesportsworkforcetohelpdriveupthequalityandquantityofthoseworkinginsport
acrossCumbria.
Overthethreeyearsoftheprogramme,theNewBalanceCharitableFoundationforInternationalGiving,basedin
Boston,USA,isproviding£60,000cashfundingtotheprogrammebeingdeliveredbyActiveCumbria,andafurther
£21,000worthofsportsclothing.
‘WearedelightedtobeworkingwithActiveCumbria,theworktheydowillensurethatthisfundingwillgoasfaras
possibletoaddressingskillsgaps.'–LiamBurns,Europe,Asia&MiddleEastBusinessManager,NewBalance
ByworkingincollaborationwiththeNewBalanceCharitableFoundation,ActiveCumbriahasagreedmutualaims
andobjectivesensuringthatover1000learningoutcomeswillbedeliveredacrossthethreeyearsofthe
programme,resultinginincreasedparticipationlevelsinsportandphysicalactivity,whilstalsoincreasingthebrand
awarenessofNewBalanceinCumbria,throughthishighqualityinitiative.
2.
TheChallenge
Foranumberofyears,manynationalgoverningbodiesofsporthadhighlightedskillsgapsacrossthecountyin
variouscoachingandvolunteeringroles.ThepreviousActiveCumbriacoacheducationbursaryschemewasnotfully
meetingtheneedsofnationalgoverningbodiesofsportanddeliveryorganisations,anddidnotlinkexplicitlywith
nationalgoverningbodyofsportpriorities.
Thelackofasuitablyexperiencedandqualifiedworkforcewashavingadetrimentalimpactonmanynational
governingbody’sabilitytosuccessfullydelivertheirwholesportplanoutcomesacrossthecounty.
ManynationalgoverningbodiesdidnothaveajoinedupworkforceplanforCumbriathatcoveredallaspectsof
workforcerequirements,andwhichhadSMARTtargetsattributedtoit.
3.
TheSolution
TheSportsWorkforceEducationProgrammehasbeendesignedtoprovidefocussedsupporttonationalgoverning
bodiesofsporttoenablethemtohavethebestchanceofdeliveringtheirwholesportplansinCumbria.Thisisa
threeyearprogramme,supportinganincreasednumberofneedsledlearningoutcomeseachyear,withathreeyear
targetofdelivering1000learningoutcomes.
Theprogrammeprovidesamenuofeducationalcoursescoveringcoaching,volunteering,clubdevelopment,
developmentofofficialsaswellasofferingbespoketrainingcoursestosupportthedevelopmentofavibrant
networkofcommunitysportsclubsanddeliverymechanismsacrossCumbria,itiscompletelyneedsledand
informedbyinsightfromeachrespectivenationalgoverningbodyofsportordeliveryagency.
Theprogrammeconsistsofthreedistinctelements,thesebeingtheBursaryElement,theEssentialsElement,and
theCoaching+Element.
a.
b.
TheBursaryElement
Throughtheprovisionof£50,000fundingfromNewBalance,ActiveCumbriahasredevelopeditsbursary
schemetoencompassthewholesportsworkforce,withtheclearoutcomeofprovidingasuitablytrained
workforcetoallownationalgoverningbodiesofsporttolandtheirproductstoultimatelyachievetheir
wholesportplanslocally.Thisfundinghasleveredinasimilaramountofmatchedfundingfromthenational
governingbodyorlocaldeliveryagencytomaximisetheimpactandensurethatbestvalueisachieved.
TheEssentialsElement
Consistsoftwomainareasthatareessentialtoactivedeliveryandavibrantsportinginfrastructure:-
• Theprovisionofacountywideprogrammeofessentialminimumstandardeducationcoveringcourses
suchassafeguardingandprotectingchildren,workingwithdisabledperformers,andfirst-aid.
• Theprovisionofabespokeservicefordeliveryagencieswheregroupdeliveryofcoursescanbe
facilitated.
c.
TheCoaching+Element
Consistsoftwomainareastosupportthewholeparticipantpathway,againdevelopingandsupportingthe
sportsworkforcetocreateastrongerandmorevibrantdeliverynetwork:-
• ThecreationofaCumbriaTalentCoachesgroup,wherenationalgoverningbodiesofsporthave
nominatedanumberoftheirhighleveloraspiringcoaches,whoareworkingwithinthatsportstalent
pathway.Aseriesofnetworkingevents,workshops,andfacilitatedsessionshavebeendeliveredto
supporttheneedsofthisgroupofcoaches,bothintermsofdevelopingtheirowncoachingcareersand
skillsets,whichinturnprovidebettersupporttoourtalentedathleteswithinthecounty.Todate
supporthasbeenprovidedto6NGB’s,14coachesand8coachdevelopers.
• TheprovisionoftheannualCumbriaCoachingConferenceprovidestheopportunityforcoachesworking
acrossthetalentpathwayinCumbriatomeetandlearnfromeachotherandtoengagewithhighly
respectedcoachesandsportsscientists.
4.
Impacttodate
ThroughthisprogrammeActiveCumbriahassupported21nationalgoverningbodiesofsporttoestablishworkforce
developmentplans,whichhavebeencreatedfollowingarigorousauditprocesstoidentifygaps.Cumbriacannow
boastworkforcedevelopmentplansinthefollowingsports,whichpriortothisprogrammedidnotexist:-
Athletics,Badminton,Bowls,Canoeing,Cricket,Football,Golf,Gymnastics,Hockey,Netball,Rowing,RugbyLeague,
RugbyUnion,Sailing,Snowsports,Swimming,Taekwondo,Tennis,TriathlonandWheelchairBasketball.
BytheendofYear2(31March2016)theprogrammecanboastthefollowingimpressiveimpacts:-
• 411individualshavegainednewskills
• 860Learningoutcomes/qualifications
• 4,512newsportsparticipants
• £31,933fundingfromNewBalance
• £21,000inkindNewBalanceclothing
• £37,197partnershipfunding
• £90,130totalinvestmentinworkforcedevelopment
ThroughtheadditionalsportsclothingprovidedbyNewBalance,participantswhoarepartoftheTalentCoaches
GroupallreceivebrandedNewBalanceclothingandtrainingshoes,whichhasraisedtheprofileofthegroup,which
hasbeenpromotedacrosscommunicationchannelsandinthelocalmediatocreatebrandawarenessforNew
Balance.Otherparticipants,includingattendeesattheannualcoachingconferencealsoreceiveNewBalance
brandedclothing,whichhelpstocreateasenseofbelongingandbuyinfortheprogramme.
Movingforward,theprogrammewillcontinuewithafocusedapproachto
underrepresentedgroups,concentratingonincreasinganddevelopingthenumberof
femaleanddisabledcoachesworkingacrossthecounty.