Lloyds TSB brings London 2012 into the classroom through National School Sport Week partnership
The Youth Sport Trust has today announced that Lloyds TSB will become the partner to National School Sport Week between now and 2012.
Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week 2009 will run from 29th June to 3rd July and aims to inspire millions of young people in 10,000 schools across Britain, supporting the Government’s PE and Sport Strategy for Young People.
Lloyds TSB will use the power of its partnership with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to celebrate all that has been achieved in PE and school sport over the past year. Working with the Youth Sport Trust, Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week will demonstrate that it is possible for each school-aged child to do five hours of high quality PE and school sport each week both in and out of school.
Lloyds TSB will work alongside the Youth Sport Trust to launch new sports-based initiatives that can be applied in the classroom, on the school playing fields and outside of school hours. The London 2012 partner will also provide Olympic and Paralympic Games themed resources and concepts to teachers that register to take part in Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week. As a result of Lloyds TSB’s London 2012 partnership, registered schools will also have the opportunity to engage with the London 2012 education programme ‘Get Set’. Schools taking part in Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week will be able to use their activity as part of their application to join the ‘Get Set network’. From September onwards such schools will then have the opportunity to use the special London 2012 education logo to recognise their involvement in ‘Get Set’.
Lloyds TSB Local Heroes will support the programme through school visits. Teachers also have the opportunity to win inspirational visits from Team GB Olympic and Paralympic athletes, including triple-jump world record holder Jonathan Edwards and heptathlon Olympic gold medalist Denise Lewis.
Jonathan Edwards, Lloyds TSB London 2012 ambassador said; “The sporting journey for many Olympians and Paralympians begins at school. It was the encouragement of my PE teacher and the positive sporting experiences I had at school that first inspired me to take my sport more seriously and sowed the seed of my determination to achieve Triple Jump Olympic gold. I hope that by bringing London 2012 into the classroom, Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week will inspire our next generation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes.”
Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe said: “Over three million children and young people participated in last year's National School Sport Week and this year looks set to be bigger than ever. The week has been embraced by schools across the country and will help inspire children to take up the Government's offer of five hours of quality sport each week. With the 2012 Games on the horizon we have a unique opportunity to inspire a generation to get active and it's fantastic to see that Lloyds TSB is committed to helping us do this.”
Sally Hancock, Director of the Lloyds TSB London 2012 partnership commented; “Young people in classrooms up and down the country represent the future of sport. As we get closer to London 2012 it’s important that we do all that we can to inspire them to take part in as much quality sport as possible. The Youth Sport Trust shares our aims and ambitions in increasing participation in the classroom and the community. Through our network of high street branches across the country and support of young athletes through our Lloyds TSB Local Heroes scheme we are well placed to engage communities and support Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week.”
Steve Grainger, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “The Youth Sport Trust is delighted that a London 2012 sponsor has become the partner of National School Sport Week and we are really looking forward to working with Lloyds TSB between now and 2012. With their support we believe National School Sport Week will capture the incredible transformation school sport has enjoyed in recent times and help us celebrate the work schools up and down the country are doing to offer more and more young people the chance to experience, enjoy and excel in PE and sport.”
Hugh Robertson MP, Shadow Minister for Sport, said: ”I want to encourage every school to take part in Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week so that as many children as possible have the fantastic opportunities available to them through sport.”
Don Foster MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “Lloyds TSB National School Sports week is a fantastic opportunity to get children across the country excited about, and involved in, sport at the start of an incredible sporting decade ahead for this country, not least hosting the 2012 Olympics!”
Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week is the bank’s second major initiative to deliver its London 2012 vision of inspiring and supporting young people, businesses, and communities across Britain on their journey to 2012.
In 2008, Lloyds TSB launched the Lloyds TSB Local Heroes programme, an initiative that provides up to £1,000 to 250 emerging young sportspeople identified each year across Britain, in the run up to London 2012 and beyond.
For more information on Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week visit www.schoolsportweek.org
ENDS
For media enquiries:
Lloyds TSB
Eve Speight T: 020 7356 2162
E: Eve.Speight@LloydsTSB.co.uk
Lucy Mart T: 0870 626 9906
E: lucy.mart@fourcommunications.com
Youth Sport Trust
Lee Murphy - Media Relations Manager T: 07825 065179
E: lee.murphy@youthsporttrust.org
James Webb - Senior Press Officer T: 07825 065181
E: james.webb@youthsporttrust.org
Supporting Quotes:
Denise Lewis, School Sport ambassador
“As a mum, I believe that sport can play an important role in the development of children into confident, respectful and of course, healthy young adults. I feel passionately that we as parents should encourage our children to participate in school sport as well as additional extracurricular sport so that they are active both in and out of the classroom.”
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee
"Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week will encourage, inspire and motivate young people to take up sport and enjoy a healthier, more focused lifestyle. That is what the London 2012 legacy is all about and through collaborations such as this, the legacy starts now."
Delyth Morgan, Children’s Minister
“Following on from the success of last year’s first National School Sports Week, I am pleased that so many children and young people across the country will have the opportunity to get physically active, get healthy and have fun at the same time. Competitive sport teaches children important skills like leadership and team work and how to be gracious in defeat but it can also improve their self-confidence. First and foremost sport is about children enjoying themselves which is why I am pleased to hear that the Youth Sport Trust and Lloyds TSB has lined up a week of events that will be even bigger and better than last year.”
Notes to Editors
Lloyds TSB and London 2012:
Lloyds TSB is the exclusive Banking & Insurance Partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and is committed to inspire and support young people, businesses and communities across Britain through Lloyds TSB Local Heroes. In addition to National School Sport Week, Lloyds TSB is supporting promising and emerging British sporting talent on their journey to London 2012 and beyond through Lloyds TSB Local Heroes in partnership with SportsAid. The Lloyds TSB Local Heroes programme has a national reach with local impact, supporting athletes from across Britain with awards of £1,000 to help with the costs of training and competing at national and international level and as recognition of their emerging talent. www.lloydstsblondon2012.co.uk
The Youth Sport Trust:
The Youth Sport Trust is a registered charity with a simple mission: To build a brighter future for all young people through physical education (PE) and school sport. Its main objective is to increase young people’s participation and enjoyment of PE and school sport and, through this, improve their life chances. The Youth Sport Trust plays a central role in the development and support of more than 450 sports colleges across the country. For more information visit www.youthsporttrust.org
The PE and Sport Strategy for Young People:
The PE and Sport Strategy for Young People, jointly delivered through the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport aims to increase the numbers of young people taking part in high quality PE and school sport. The Government’s long-term ambition is to offer all young people the opportunity to participate in five hours of sport per week, both within the curriculum and outside the school day, by 2012.
National School Sport Week:
The first National School Sport week was held in 2008 and consisted of a nationwide programme of activities across the country including Festivals of Sport, intra and inter-school competitions and other local activity to promote PE and sport in school. The objective in 2008 was to get as many school pupils as possible in England to take part in two hours of sport per week. This target was achieved for 90% of pupils across the country.
Get Set – the London 2012 education programme:
A range of free, flexible resources with the Olympic Values (excellence, friendship and respect) and Paralympic Values (courage, determination, inspiration and equality) at their heart.
Resources available on the site are for 3-19 year olds and include inspirational films, interactive games, fact sheets, news articles and more, along with an Educators section for practitioners and senior management.
‘Get Set’ offers the opportunity to ‘Go Further’ and get involved in initiatives supported by London 2012 partners in eight key themes - internationalism; communication, collaboration and citizenship; practical learning; PE and sport; enterprise; sustainability and regeneration; culture and creativity, and healthy, active lifestyles.
Through Lloyds TSB’s sponsorship, National School Sports Week is a key part of the PE and Sport theme of ‘Get Set’.
School and colleges working with ‘Get Set’ now have the chance to apply to join the ‘Get Set network’ and receive the London 2012 education logo from September 2009 onwards in recognition of their learning through the London 2012 Games.
London 2012 is currently running a competition for budding designers aged 16 – 21 to create the infill for the London 2012 education logo.
For more information please go to www.london2012.com/getset