More than 3850 Young People in the Black Country Benefit from Olympic Legacy Programme
![](/upload/3ce74e05-f783-41ea-adce-0d8a3068f20b.png)
A year
on from winning two Olympic gold medals at London 2012, cyclist Jason Kenny was
today celebrating a legacy programme that’s helped more than a quarter of a
million young people to get involved in sport.
New figures published by Sport England show 256,297 teenagers and
young adults have so far benefitted from free or discounted six-to-eight week
courses in 70 different sports through Sportivate. This includes more
than 3,850 young people in the Black Country who have joined in with a wide
range of Sportivate projects
happening in their area, 3,174 of whom missed no more than one session.
Backed
by National Lottery funding, Sportivate aims to give young people who
currently aren’t playing sport in their own time the chance to find a sport
they like. The young people are then helped to find a club or other venue where
they can keep taking part.
Jason Kenny only got into cycling by chance when his uncle booked a
velodrome for a cycling event and ended up with a couple of spare spaces which
gave Jason and his brother the chance to give it a go.
Jason said: "I stumbled into cycling and fell in love with the sport
instantly. Not everybody has had the opportunities that I have had but this is
what is so great about Sportivate. It offers young people the
chance to try new sports with the help of fantastic coaches. I would encourage
all young people to get out there and find a sport they enjoy.”
One of the young people in the Black Country who has got hooked on
sport after trying out the Soccersize sessions run by Urban Kickz says the
confidence she’s gained through attending the Sportivate sessions has really changed her attitude to sport and
life. She reports feeling a new found confidence that she can do more do things
now than before and is not afraid to try new things. She said "it was something
that I had never tried before and it made me realise that sport can be fun. I
made new friends, have lost weight and feel better about myself after taking
part in the sessions and it was a great laugh.”
Alex Martin, Cardio Tennis Coach on the Black Country Sportivate
programme said: "Getting people into sport is really important, giving them
something totally different to do can motivate them, whether it be looking for
a job, staying in or going back to education or just trying to get a bit
fitter, programmes like Sportivate are perfect to help us do this.”
Research shows that eight out of 10 of the young people are sticking
with sport three months after they’ve completed their Sportivate course.
Sport England’s Director of Community Sport, Mike Diaper, said: "The
key to Sportivate’s success has been listening to what young people want
from sport locally and then offering a great sporting experience at times and
places that fit with their lives.”
Sportivate is being delivered in the Black Country by
the Black Country BeActive Partnership, working with local clubs and providers.
The Director of the Black Country BeActive Partnership, Simon Hall
said: "We are proud of the London 2012 legacy in the Black Country, which has
seen more young people being supported to get involved in sport through
programmes like Sportivate, more schools doing school sport and competitions,
more volunteers, better clubs and more adults taking part in sport programmes.
We will work to ensure that the legacy effect lasts longer than this first year
and I look forward to still talking about the impact of the legacy in 2017”
Click here for more information on Sportivate in the Black Country
Latest news from Active Black Country
View all news![](/upload/a780786f-4b95-4b1c-9263-43cd19cf8c05.png)
INSIGHT HUB
Timely data and learnings in relation to physical activity and sport in the Black Country and the added value we can offer.
![](/upload/011c0568-2027-43f7-b2a3-dae23576b367.png)
WATER SAFETY PROGRAMME
Get your school involved in our free programme to increase the number of children who are water safe and boost their enjoyment of swimming.
![](/upload/a7bbce69-ba42-43e6-b4d4-36fc5ee95151.png)
ACTIVATION ACADEMY
Resources and training material to support the Black Country sport & physical activity workforce
![](/upload/fed12fd8-8551-4dd8-b0d5-66ac31683615.jpg)
![](/upload/68d40c62-b7c6-443f-aa00-836b3d480197.png)
![](/upload/e630a494-1f17-4e28-be0d-fb17c5cd23c7.jpg)
![](/upload/4589c520-482d-4fd4-9064-9e6229174d5f.jpg)
![](/upload/2de63b61-9f44-4ab4-a4ed-2d0be45389c7.png)
![](/upload/d15dbf3c-df00-408e-8128-69ee42f33c00.jpg)
![](/upload/b43c12fb-b030-47cd-8dda-4dbd5bf23849.jpg)
![](/upload/f126713c-c5cc-485b-af92-b44b1e083170.jpg)
![](/upload/8c9d2e9c-56cb-4a32-8397-280110dbbcbd.jpg)
![](/upload/ac80ef3b-7a11-4f6c-9f8b-cb6d1c0fab2d.jpg)
![](/upload/984449a1-e162-4169-816c-5d5374f4d4d3.jpg)
![](/upload/a58c5348-67c3-4eac-ac9d-4ae0bada9b1f.jpg)
![](/upload/32cadab1-f7ae-485a-ab7a-9779156583f8.jpg)
![](/upload/5a19ac91-7eee-4e42-8f24-9ae2b9ec4a10.jpg)