New Sport and Physical Activity Alliance for Berwick

Release date: 11.12.07
Ref: BBC/PR/R&D/40/07

Berwick has a new Sports and Physical Activity Alliance which will hopefully give sport an even higher profile in the area.

Sports Development Officer Paul Jones has set up the alliance and an initial consultation meeting took place recently. The aim of the alliance is to increase participation in sport, especially for groups who might not traditionally take part, in a coordinated way.

Sports Development Officer Paul Jones said:
“The Berwick Sport and Physical Activity Alliance will bring together lots of partners who have been doing a fantastic job individually. However, we feel as a group, with a coordinated approach to sport and physical activity we can pool resources, develop coaches and clubs whilst helping and supporting our outstanding volunteers.

“The Alliance has developed an action plan for the next three years which reflects what Berwick really needs and for the people who live here. We have already started to deliver on this plan. We have consulted lots of different partners to pull this plan together.

“One of the first things the Alliance will do is access funding from within the group for two new posts to enable us to get in amongst the clubs and groups who we need to support on the ground. The posts we are looking to implement are a Club Development Officer and Physical Activity Development Officer. The two posts will cover the Borough but will be employed by two of the partners Glendale Gateway Trust in Wooler and North Sunderland and Seahouses Development Trust hopefully from April/ May next year,” he said.

The action plan is due to be signed off by Sport England in the coming weeks. The Alliance will then publish the plan on local websites.