Five-time Olympic Gold medalist, Sir Steve Redgrave,
today unveiled a new way for people to become sporting heroes in
their local community.
Sir Steve, our greatest Olympian, has joined forces with Sport
England to launch Sport Makers, a programme for everyone who’d like
to make sport happen for their friends, neighbours or
colleagues.
Sir Steve said: “You don’t need medals to become a sporting
hero. By helping people you know to get involved in sport you’ll be
doing something amazing for your friends and local community as
well as having fun yourself.
“The thing I want to see more than anything is more people out
enjoying what sport has to offer, but we need your help to make it
happen.
“So why not take your first step to becoming a sporting hero and
visit sportmakers.co.uk”
Sport Makers aims to inspire over 40,000 people to get involved,
with each of them spending at least 10 hours organising or leading
sporting activities. It is open to anyone aged 16 and over.
Backed by the British Olympic Association and £4 million of
National Lottery funding, Sport Makers is part of the Places People
Play legacy programme that is bringing the magic of a home Olympic
and Paralympic Games into communities across the country.
Every Sport Maker will be invited to an informal and interactive
workshop where they’ll gain the skills and opportunities to get
involved in sport in their area. Sport Makers will be introduced to
organisations that need their help, and join forces with others who
want to make sport happen locally. There’ll also be opportunities
to meet top athletes and plenty of incentives to stay involved.
By taking part in Sport Makers, and completing your 10 hours,
you could secure tickets to the greatest show on earth: Sport
Makers and London 2012 are working together to give people the
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend next year’s Olympic and
Paralympic Games.
Sport England’s Chair, Richard Lewis, said: “This is a great
chance to get involved in making sport happen, whether that’s
planning the route, finding the pitch or encouraging others to take
part.
“So if you think you could help, or have your own ideas for
getting others involved in sport, please join in as a Sport Maker
and become part of the legacy of the London 2012 Games.”
Today’s launch was welcomed by the Minister for Sport and the
Olympics, Hugh Robertson MP. He said: “The volunteers that help out
at local sports clubs up and down the country are the foundations
of community sport. The new Sport Makers initiative is a key part
of the London 2012 sports legacy and will help community sports
clubs across the country get more people playing sport.”
Over 50% of adults in England say they’d like to play more
sport, but many people don’t feel they have the time, money or
confidence to get involved in a formal setting.
BOA Chair, Lord Moynihan, said:
“Sport Makers will help contribute to an active and vibrant
grassroots sporting environment, through which opportunities for
people of all ages to participate in sport will be expanded. It
will reinforce the ideals of the Olympic and Paralympic movement,
demonstrating how they are relevant to every level of sport.”
Visit sportmakers.co.uk to find out more and sign up.