Year 7 Boys:

1st Queen Elizabeths Grammar School

2nd Anthony Gell

3rd Lady Manners

4th Highfields

Year 7 Girls:

1st Queen Elizabeths Grammar School

2nd Lady Manners

3rd Anthony Gell School

4th Highfields

Year 8 Boys:

1st Queen Elizabeths Grammar School

2nd Lady Manners School

3rd Highfields

4th Anthony Gell

Year 8 Girls:

1st Lady Manners

2nd Queen Elizabeths Grammar School

3rd Highfields

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School youngsters in Matlock are celebrating after coming out on top of a Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership (RDSSP) Tour of Britain design competition.

The challenge was organised to coincide with the UK’s leading cycling event whizzing through Derbyshire on Friday 11 September and gave local students the opportunity to design a cycle jersey with themes around the county, their school and local attractions.

Seven winners were chosen from over 100 entries and picked up amazing prizes donated by Dare2b, the official jersey provider for the Tour of Britain.

Congratulations go to James Wayman and Katie Ella Bailey from South Darley CE Primary School; Asa Moseley from Elton CE Primary School and Josh Cummings, Drummond McIntyre, Ellie Kearney and Abigail Harper from All Saints Junior School in Matlock.

RDSSP Cycling Participation Coordinator, Ruth Taylor had the hard job of judging the competition. She said: “We were overwhelmed by the number and quality of entries and there were some absolutely fabulous jerseys, many of which wouldn’t look out of place in the professional peloton.

“There was a range of inspiration for the designs from the Tour of Britain itself to local landmarks and school crests.

“It was such a tough job narrowing down the entries to finally come up with our winners but we think the eventual prize winners were the cream of the crop.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who sent in entries to the competition and Dare2be for the fantastic prizes.”

Ruth is now set to head out to meet winning students at their primary schools to present their prizes.

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Thanks to the Ashbourne News Telegraph for featuring the fantastic success stories of our Ashbourne cluster schools, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Parkside Junior School and Osmaston CE Primary School, in the Sainsbury’s Derbyshire School Games on Tuesday 7 July.

You can read the full story here. 

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Pupils from five Derbyshire Dales schools, members of the RDSSP, are celebrating their fantastic success at the recent Sainsbury’s Derbyshire School Games.

The event at Trent College in Long Eaton played host to 1,000 competitors from across the county on Tuesday 7 July, contending in 11 county final competitions with the support of over 150 Young Sports Leaders.

The Sainsbury’s School Games is hosted and organised in partnership with Derbyshire Sport and The Derbyshire Schools’ Sport Association alongside a number of national bodies including British Paralympic Association, Sport England, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Change 4 Life and the Youth Sport Trust.

The event is about creating a positive and rewarding experience for all, bringing together sport, culture and education and upholding six Spirit of the Games Values; determination, honesty, passion, respect, self belief and teamwork. The opening ceremony included the School Games Oath for competitors, officials, coaches and spectators to abide by the fundamental values of the competition.

The RDSSP Team, made up of Darley Dale Primary School, Osmaston CE (VC) Primary School, Ashbourne’s Parkside Junior School, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (QEGS) and Wirksworth’s Anthony Gell School (AGS), was victorious across the nine championships it took part in.

Here is a round-up of the fantastic results:

• OSMASTON: Year 3 and 4 students won SILVER in the Mini Tennis competition;
• OSMASTON: Year 5 and 6 pupils won GOLD in the Tri-Golf contest;
• DARLEY DALE: Year 5 and 6 pupils won SILVER in the Cyclo Cross/ Grass Track Primary cycle event, with Sam Gould winning individual boys’ GOLD for the highest number of points;
• PARKSIDE: Year 5 and 6 students came 6^th in the QuadKids Primary competition. The team won the Spirit of the Games Award for their sportsmanship and Year 5 student, Oliwia Jurska won GOLD the individual girls’ standings with the highest number of points;
• QEGS: Year 7 and 8 pupils won GOLD in the QuadKids Secondary event with Luke Zoner coming in GOLD position in the individual boys’ standings with the highest number of points, closely followed by teammate, Theo Rodgers in BRONZE position.
• AGS: Year 7 and 8 students finished in GOLD medal winning position in the Cyclo Cross/ Grass Track Secondary competition, with Amelie Wayte and Libby Smith winning GOLD and SILVER respectively in the individual girls’ standings, and Reuben Orr coming in BRONZE position in the boys’ standings.
• QEGS: Year 9 girls took GOLD in the Rounders competition;
• AGS: Key Stage 2 to 5 pupils came 4^th in the Boccia Plus tournament;
• AGS: Key Stage 3 and 4 students came 5^th in the Super Sixes Golf Plus competition.

RDSSP Manager, Janice Price said: “I am absolutely delighted and overwhelmed at the achievement of our students across the Derbyshire School Games competition. This event has rounded off an inspiring, triumphant and fantastic year of sport across Rural Derbyshire and pupils should be so proud of themselves.”

“As well as the amazing work of competitors, I would also like to acknowledge the dedication and passion of the Young Sport Leaders from schools including Anthony Gell, QEGS and Highfields, who volunteered on the day to make it such a huge success.”

Derbyshire Sport director, Hayler Lever said: “It was fantastic to see not only schools from across the county competing hard and enjoying themselves, but doing it with a smile on their faces and with terrific levels of sportsmanship.”

“There was at least one top three finish from all 10 school sport partnerships, but the fact that Rural Derbyshire claimed so many medals shows how effectively the message that sport and physical activity is important in the lives of children is being put across in smaller, rural schools.”

WHAT THE COMPETITORS SAID:

AGS Year 7 and 8 Cyclo Cross competitor, Sam Thompson said: “I love this event because it’s fast and I enjoy the teamwork involved. It’s good to push you and make yourself better and it is great to do this whilst competing against students from other schools.”

Teammate, Ewan Makie added: “This event is fast paced and it’s never boring, you have to keep up the momentum. It pushes you and your team and challenges you on how well you can do against other people.”

Friends Beth Schratz, Gabby Nicholson and Maisie Watts from Osmaston CE (VC) Primary School all agreed the games were “really fun” and they enjoyed “taking part alongside other schools and their friends.”

Darley Dale’s Sam Gould, 11, won GOLD in the individual boys’ standings in the primary Cyclo Cross/ Grass Track event. He takes part in the sport outside of school time and said: “It feels so good to ride around and come through into this category. It is also so great to see school friends develop and improve and do really well. I like taking part in events like this because it’s great to see other people race and see how good they are.”

Anthony Gell’s Boccia contestants, George Maskrey, Olivia Brown and William Metcalf all agreed they enjoyed the event’s opening ceremony and taking part in the Boccia tournament.

Mia Carvell, also from AGS, took part in the Super Sixes Golf Plus event. She said: “My dad plays golf and I have grown up with the sport. I enjoy taking part because I think it’s fun and interesting and not many girls play golf. It’s great to be involved.”

WHAT THE TEACHERS SAID:

High Level Teaching Assistant at Parkside Primary School, Chris Peach said: “The students are representing the school and rural Derbyshire as a whole, and any exposure to bigger events like this sets them up for life so they are able to understand how they work.”

“I think the RDSSP does a fantastic job including in the QEGS cluster and more county-wide, in looking out for the next talent and always encouraging whoever is representing the partnership which is great.”

QEGS PE Teacher and Lead Practitioner, Katie Brown was cheering on the winning Rounders team. She said: “I am so extremely proud of the girls! They have done so well and have showed great team work and spirit.”

“The Year 7 students already look up to them as role models and the girls are currently training younger pupils in rounders which is a massive responsibility and commitment for them. They are such good friends too and I think this is why the team is so successful because they get on so well and support each other.”

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More photos taken throughout the day are available to see here.

Thanks to Derbyshire Sport for some of the fantastic pics.

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Students from Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Ashbourne are celebrating after coming first in the RDSSP Quad Kids event in Bakewell.

The sporting occasion took place at Lady Manners School on Wednesday 24 June and saw ten teams come together from the host school as well as Highfields in Matlock and Ashbourne’s QEGS.

Each team was made up of students from each school, with everyone taking their turn to compete in a 100m run, an 800m run, the long jump and the vortex howler. Student’s times and measurements were recorded with the top scores of each team tallied up to reveal the winner.

QEGS youngsters were victorious with other students quick to offer their congratulations. Team spirit and camaraderie between school groups was definitely the biggest triumph of the whole event.

Lady Manners pupil, Felicity Stokes, 11, said: “The atmosphere is really good, it’s great to take part in sport alongside other schools, I love long jump and sprinting.”

Fellow student, Leah Shinwell, 12, said: “I like athletics and days like this, taking part in competitions, because it brings us together with the wider community and we’re all competitive but we all support each other and we’re all friendly.”

Highfields student, Burton Ball, 12, said: “I have enjoyed the running a lot as I didn’t feel a lot of pressure like I usually do at other competitions.”

Friend, Sam Eyre, 12, commented: “It’s not stressful, you don’t feel under pressure to win and it’s a nice competitive atmosphere. None of the other teams laugh at you if you don’t throw it very far or you’re not very fast.”

QEGS student, Emily White, 11, said: “It’s great to get together with other schools and be active together.”

Team mate, Bethany Clues, 12, added: “I like meeting new friends from new schools and I love the team work and taking part.”

RDSSP Manager, Janice Price said: “Hearing the young people’s lovely comments just goes to show what wonderful sports they all are and how it’s not all about winning; it’s the taking part that counts. I am really humbled to hear some of the things the students were saying; the RDSSP’s motto, ‘Advance, Achieve, Aspire’ sums up our ambition to encourage young people to push themselves, support each other and lead by example, and I think this vision has truly been achieved here. My congratulations go out to QEGS students but also to everyone for taking part and showing such fantastic and inspiring sportsmanship.”

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Youngsters from Clifton CE Primary School, part of the RDSSP, are celebrating after coming in tenth and eighth in a national swimming competition, making their Head Teacher “so very proud.”

The school team, made up of Eddie Archer, Zizi Peck, Patrick Welsh and Alex Holt, came second in the Small Schools Sections of the English Schools’ Swimming Association Relay Championships in Lincolnshire earlier this year to qualify for the association’s 21^st annual Primary Schools’ Team Championships, representing the East Midlands Division in both freestyle and mixed stroke relays.

24 teams qualified for the Team Championships in each category and in the Small School’s section there were just five state schools. The big event took place at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield on Saturday 20 June.

Youngsters took part in the mixed stroke relay with Eddie swimming backstroke; team captain, Alex, swimming breaststroke and Zizi and Patrick taking on front crawl, achieving a time of 1:10.78 (more than 5 seconds quicker than their previous best time from the regional competition). They came 8^th in the overall final.

In the freestyle relay (with team captain, Zizi), they achieved a time of 1:05.76 (1 second faster than their regional time), coming 10^th overall.

Head Teacher, Heidi Daughtry said: “What a fantastic day- our team really ‘swam their socks off’! I am so proud of their achievements- 8^th and 10^th in the country is tremendous for a small rural school and I am so very proud of them all.”

“The children benefitted from some additional training sessions at lunchtimes with Ashbourne Swimming Club Coach, Daf Bouchier and we would all like to thank her for her valuable input. Thanks also go to Andy at Ashbourne Swimming Pool for the extra work he has done with the children during our weekly swimming sessions, parents and families who have supported our swimmers and of course the children themselves for their hard work and enthusiasm.”

RDSSP Manager, Janice Price, who’s been a volunteer coach at Ashbourne and District Swimming Club for 15 years, commented: “It is inspiring to hear that such a small, rural school is celebrating such fantastic sporting success – the four youngsters really did an incredible job in Sheffield and I was so delighted to hear the news. I wish them every success for the future in their swimming careers and the RDSSP will be here to support them.” 

Year Six spectator, Alex Fryer commented: “The atmosphere of Ponds Forge was absolutely amazing. The team did so well, considering we must have been the smallest school there, coming 8^th in the mixed stroke overall and 10^th in the front crawl relay.”

The youngsters have also been celebrating after raising more than £600 for Christian Aid with activities including a sponsored swim.

Zizi wrote a letter to the charity recently and explained: “29 pupils swam 22 miles which is 35km and 35,125 meters! Five of us swam one mile or more. Jonny Cantellow swam 64 lengths, I swam 72 lengths, Eddie Archer did 92 and Alex Holt and Patrick Welsh completed an amazing 100 lengths each.

“We also did a charity bake sale (which Freya Etherington organised) and sold cakes and cupcakes. Loads of parents came and we managed to raise a lot of money.”

“We had an assembly for the school and parents and told them all about Christian Aid and our sponsored swim and had a collection box at the end. We aimed to raise £150 but altogether we managed to raise £680 which is enough to buy four cows for Christian Aid!”

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Young children at Winster CE Primary School have enjoyed an afternoon of dinosaur striding and gliding as they had a go at balance biking with the RDSSP.

Partnership Manager, Janice Price, hosted an Early Rider training session for Reception age and Key Stage One pupils on Tuesday 23 June.

Early Rider training is offered free to all RDSSP affiliated infant schools and for a small fee to other schools. It sees children learn how to master using a bike without pedals, developing skills including balance, coordination, navigation and concentration.

Once children feel confident using balance bikes, they can go on to complete Bikeability training with the RDSSP – something which the older children in Winster have had a go at.

Head Teacher, Sharon Slack said: “This training is vital in developing children’s gross motor skills and it is fantastic as it is offered as part of the RDSSP programme making it convenient and affordable for rural schools like Winster.”

Teacher, Tamzin Hoe who accompanied the children during their training said: “It has been nice to see the youngster’s balance improve throughout the session, from start to finish they have all developed confidence and enjoyed learning more about balance.”

“Most of the children live in and around the village and there are some great bike ride routes in the area so I hope this training will encourage them to get out and about with their families to enjoy cycling.”

Students Liam and Ellie agreed their favourite part of the training was manoeuvring around the obstacle course.

Bethany and Jessica enjoyed learning more about gliding on their bikes, whilst Kevin liked gliding in a curved line.

Reception class pupil, Keeley commented: “I liked doing big dinosaur steps on my bike.”

To find out more about Early Rider and Bikeability training including costs and booking it at your school, contact Eliot on: emartinfrench@anthonygell.derbyshire.sch.uk

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The Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership (RDSSP) is encouraging young children to have a go at balance biking as part of the UK’s biggest outdoor event, Cliffhanger, in Sheffield.

RDSSP Manager, Janice Price will be on hand at Millhouses Park in Sheffield on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 July as part of the outdoors festival, to give youngsters the chance to try out balance bikes.

Balance bikes don’t have pedals or stabilisers meaning young children can boost their confidence on two wheels whilst learning skills including balance, coordination and navigation, before moving on to proper pedal cycles.

Cliffhanger is organised in partnership by Sheffield City Council and Heason Events and aims to inspire and involve people of all ages. The 2 day event features elite competitions and professional demonstrations including rock climbing, orienteering, mountain biking, running and adventure races. There are also opportunities for visitors to get involved in a whole range of sports and activities including zip lining, zorbing, bush craft, bike polo and angling.

Janice said: “I am really excited to be involved in this year’s Cliffhanger festival as encouraging young people of all ages and abilities to enjoy sport and physical activity is something I am so passionate about.”

“I volunteered at this year’s Sheffield Adventure Film Festival and was so inspired by the people I met there including elite athletes and people just like me, who love getting out and about in their spare time and enjoying sport and the great outdoors. Being part of the Cliffhanger event will hopefully allow me to meet many more people like that who share my enthusiasm for sport and physical activity and who will be encouraged by the festival to get out more by themselves or with family and friends.”

“With so many outdoor pursuits and activities available in Sheffield and on offer just next door in the Peak District National Park, I am keen to help showcase the balance bike training, which is one of the RDSSP’s most popular sessions for young children. I hope youngsters will enjoy the opportunities and it will inspire their parents, carers and guardians to get their children onto two wheels and discover the benefits for their whole family.”

Mountaineer and rock climber, Joe Simpson is patron to Cliffhanger.  The Sheffield resident said: “I am proud to be patron of the Cliffhanger event in my home city. It is really appropriate that Sheffield City Council is organising such a major event, as it is ideally placed to become the outdoor activities capital of this country, with a significant part of the city being within the Peak District National Park. I have been fortunate to be able to climb in many countries around the world, but I always love returning to Sheffield and the nearby Peak District, which has now become the home of many other climbing enthusiasts.”

To find out more about what’s on at this year’s Cliffhanger festival and purchase tickets, visit: http://www.cliff-hanger.co.uk

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Children at Grindleford Primary School have risen to the challenge of learning a ‘fundamental life skill’ thanks to the RDSSP.

Youngsters enjoyed Early Rider balance bike training with RDSSP Management Assistant, Eliot Martin-French on Monday 15 June in their school playground.

Early Rider training is offered free to all RDSSP affiliated infant schools and for a small fee to other schools. It sees children learn how to master using a bike without pedals, developing skills including balance, coordination, navigation and concentration.

Once children feel confident using balance bikes, they can go on to complete Bikeability training with the RDSSP, giving youngsters the skills and confidence to cycle in modern conditions.

Eliot said: “Cycling is a fundamental life skill and balance is used in many sports, so if children can ride a bike, they can apply their training to anything in life. The Early Rider scheme teaches children to stay upright and find a point of balance, to make it much easier for them when they move onto a normal pedal bike.”

Teaching Assistant for Class One at Grindleford Primary School, Katie Adlington said: “Not all of the children have the opportunity to get out and do it as part of family life so it’s great that we are able to give them the chance to enjoy it. The skills they learn in these sessions really help the children with their cycling development but also in other activities including PE lessons.”

“We had a couple of youngsters who didn’t really want to do the training today, they were quite scared, but once they had a go they really got on with it. It helps because the session is held in a group and this encourages the children to enjoy the sport alongside their friends and they progress together. It is also great to have Eliot here as he really knows what he is doing and the children have a lot of respect for him.”

Head Teacher, Leonie Hill said: “This is the first time we’ve had Early Rider training at the school and it’s awesome. I do worry about the state of the roads around our little village because they are very busy and dangerous, so it is fantastic for the children to pick up cycling training and for me to know they are learning vital skills. As a school we just haven’t got the resources to host these sorts of training sessions ourselves, so it’s great that being a member of the RDSSP allows us to put them on for our youngsters to enjoy.”

To find out more about the Early Rider scheme as part of the RDSSP contact Eliot on: emartinfrench@anthonygell.derbyshire.sch.uk

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Reigning rounders champions, Grindleford Primary School have been victorious once again in a Hope Valley rounders competition.

The rounders tournament took place at Hope Valley College on Thursday 11 June, organised by Hope Valley College PE teacher and RDSSP School Sport Coordinator, Ruth Cook.

It saw seven schools from across the Hope Valley and Bakewell clusters take part: Grindleford, Hope and Bamford primary schools; Eyam and Great Hucklow C of E primary schools; Bradwell Junior School and Hathersage Saint Michael’s C of E (A) Primary School.

Grindleford Head Teacher, Leonie Hill said: “The students were up against bigger schools in the competition but they won all six of their matches which is absolutely fantastic. The competition is held every two years and we won the tournament in 2013, so were the reigning champions and we have picked up the trophy again – I am so pleased.”

“Competitions and events like this one are so beneficial for a small rural school like Grindleford as the children get to go out and meet youngsters from other schools and local areas, we see the same faces and we get to know people. Some children know others from different sports outside of school too, and they meet people who are going onto the same high school as they are so they become friends.”

RDSSP Manager, Janice Price said: “I am so pleased to hear about Grindleford’s success in the competition especially as they are one of the smaller schools to take part and they came out on top. It is really promising when our smaller Derbyshire schools do so well in bigger tournaments as it gives huge inspiration to others. I hope this news encourages other local schools to be brave, be confident and aim for victory!”

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[L-R] Highfields students, Annabel Macgregor and Oliver Walden, RDSSP Manger, Janice Prince; and Highfields PE Teacher Jayne Allen accept the Sainsbury’s School Games Silver Mark award in Dec 2014.

Members of the RDSSP are being urged to apply for the Sainsbury’s School Games Mark, which is now open for applications for the 2014/2015 academic year.

The Sainsbury’s School Games Mark is a Government led awards scheme which rewards schools for their commitment to the development of high quality PE and sport including access to festivals and competitions for everyone, regardless of age or ability. OfSTED use the Mark award as part of their inspection framework and schools can use it as a development tool to aid the PE teacher or head teacher.

Nationally and locally the Sainsbury’s School Games is being delivered through partnerships. The national partnership is made up of Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Youth Sport Trust and Sport England. Over £128m of Lottery and Government funding is being invested to support the School Games.
The Mark award is separated into three levels; Bronze, Silver and Gold, and schools have to meet certain criteria to be awarded each level, including:
• A system to track young people’s participation in sports;
• Developing a calendar of competitions for young people with special educational needs and disability to take part;
• Opportunities that attract less active youngsters to take part in physical activity.

RDSSP Manager, Janice Price said: “The Sainsbury’s School Games Mark is a fantastic way for schools to showcase their dedication and passion to providing sporting opportunities to local young people.”

“The scheme has essential criteria that schools have to meet before being honoured with the Mark awards and this ensures that they are providing great opportunities for youngsters to be involved in sport and activity at all levels and that they get other people involved as well including school staff, the local community, sports clubs and coaches.”

“Schools really need to consider applying for the Mark awards scheme; it is a really prestigious reward for commitment to children’s physical activity, it is observed by OfSTED and schools that already have the Mark should be incredibly proud of their achievements.”

Last year, 16 RDSSP member schools picked up Sainsbury’s School Games Marks. Bradwell Juniors, Fitzherbert, Lea, Great Longstone, Marston Montgomery, Middleton, Parwich, St Josephs, Youlgrave, Bamford, Hartington and Anthony Gell all received the Bronze recognition, with Carsington and Hopton, Osmaston and Highfields the proud holders of the Silver Mark award.

Highfields PE teacher and RDSSP School Sport Coordinator, Jayne Allen said after picking up the honour in December 2014: “We were all very excited to receive this award. It was the culmination of a year of active participation and great progress – we were so close to gaining Gold, after picking up Bronze in 2013.”

To find out more and apply for the Mark visit: http://www.yourschoolgames.com

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Sainsbury’s School Games and partners
Sainsbury’s is proud to be the headline sponsor of the School Games and to provide a great new opportunity for more young people to enjoy the benefits of competitive sport. This sponsorship forms part of the Active Kids scheme and further demonstrates Sainsbury’s commitment to promoting a healthier, more active lifestyle for all, regardless of age or ability.

Through Active Kids Sainsbury’s has achieved the following:
• Donated over £115 million* pounds worth of equipment and experiences since 2005 to organisations including: nurseries, schools, Scout and Guide groups and sports clubs.
• Over 49,000 organisations have registered to the scheme.
*Figure based on redemptions received up to 05.08.11
Visit www.sainsburys.co.uk/activekids for more information.

Sport England – www.sportengland.org
Sport England is the non-departmental public body responsible for building the foundations of sporting success, by creating a world-leading community sport environment of clubs, coaches, facilities and volunteers. Sport England is providing funding to support the development and delivery of the Sainsbury’s School Games. They are also working with Sports Governing Bodies and County Sports Partnerships to ensure they support and help deliver the Schools Games.

The Youth Sport Trust – www.youthsporttrust.org
The Youth Sport Trust is an independent charity with a mission to change young people’s lives through sport. They have been commissioned by Sport England as the delivery agent for the Sainsbury’s School Games, providing support to help schools and other partners deliver Levels 1-3 of the School Games and are supporting the delivery of the Sainsbury’s 2012 School Games finals event.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) – www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-culture-media-sport
DCMS aims to improve the quality of life for all through cultural and sporting activities. DCMS is the lead Government department for the Sainsbury’s School Games.

Change4Life – www.nhs.uk/change4life
Change4Life encourages children and families to eat well, move more and live longer. Change4Life Sports Clubs at both secondary and primary level will link to the Sainsbury’s School Games by targeting the least active young people and encouraging participation in Levels 1 and 2 of the School Games. The Department of Health is also jointly-funding the new School Games Organisers.

The Department for Education (DfE) – www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
DfE is responsible for setting overall policy for schools. DfE is contributing to the development and delivery of the Sainsbury’s School Games.

The British Paralympic Association – www.paralympics.org.uk
The British Paralympic Association is the National Paralympic Committee for the UK, responsible for the promotion of the Paralympic movement in Great Britain and selecting, entering and funding the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic team.

ParalympicsGB is the name for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic Team that competes at the summer and winter Paralympic Games. ParalympicsGB has a proud track record of coming in the top three at the last four summer Games. For London we had two ambitions; to win more medals across more sports than in Beijing and to use the power of the home Games to shift perceptions of disability sport and disabled people. We are confident that we achieved those ambitions and are now working hard to ensure the momentum created by London 2012 affects real change and lasting improvement. We are proud to be a supporting partner for the Sainsbury’s School Games, which is playing a vital role in providing disability sport opportunities across the country.

Students from Anthony Gell School in Wirksworth, a member of the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership are on “cloud nine” after winning the Derbyshire County Football Plus competition.

Youngsters took part in the tournament on Thursday 14th May at John Port School in Etwall, South Derbyshire. The competition saw 10 teams taking part across two different ability levels; with Anthony Gell in the higher Championship league.

The team came top of their league so progressed to the final where they faced the leaders of the other championship group, a team from Tupton Hall School in Chesterfield, and they came out victorious.

Teaching assistant, Ben Gaskin, said: “The boys did really, really well. They won every game and always encouraged each other, showing great sportsmanship as well by shaking hands with the opposite team after every match. They came home with gold medals and a trophy. We had a presentation event in assembly and the students came up in front of their year group to be applauded. Our head teacher, David Baker, is absolutely overwhelmed and the boys are still on cloud nine.”

RDSSP Manager, Janice Price said: “I was really delighted to hear about the boy’s success especially to hear how much it means to both them and their teachers. I hope this story inspires other small, rural schools to get behind school teams and encourage them to excel in both local and county-wide competitions.”

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A Highfields School student and RDSSP Young Sports Leader has been highly commended in the Derbyshire County FA Community Awards for his ‘fantastic’ volunteer work, after notching up more than 600 hours of volunteering at local level this academic year.

Callum Rose was praised after being nominated in the FA Young Volunteer of the Year Award category, which celebrates local grassroots sporting volunteers who work to provide better and more footballing opportunities for young players.

As well as being a member of the Highfields Sports Leadership Academy, 17 year old Callum has a big connection with Matlock Town Juniors FC as a FA Level 1 Football Coach. He is currently manager and coach of the under 10s team and also runs a Goal Keeper School for the club on a Monday evening.

Callum said: “I feel very honoured to have been nominated for this award. To receive recognition of highly commended from the FA does make volunteering and working with youngsters worthwhile.”

Marketing and Communications Officer for Derbyshire FA, Siobhan Eastham said: “The quality of nominations this year was extremely high and the panel had some very tough decisions to make which resulted in Callum’s nomination being unsuccessful. It was however acknowledged to be of extremely high quality by the panel and The Derbyshire County FA (DCFA) would really urge someone to make a nomination for Callum next year as the work he is doing is fantastic. The panel was completely split on Callum and the eventual winner which shows how highly he was considered. A huge well done and thank you to Callum, please keep up your good work, the DCFA and the local community are truly benefiting from it.”

The Year 12 student has a number of accolades under his belt including being honoured as the Highfield’s Community Coach of the Year; being awarded Runner Up in the Boys’ Sports Leaders/Coach of the Year category at the Derbyshire Dales Sports Awards last year, and picking up his Sports Leaders UK Level 2 Community Sports Leadership qualification.

Callum also secured the title of Year 12 Highfields School Sports Leader for 2014/15 after completing more than 600 hours of volunteer work at local level. He is also a member of the school’s Voice of Sport team and has been successful in taking up a position from September as a PE and School Sports Apprentice at Highfields. The apprenticeship scheme sees local schools work alongside the RDSSP and Sporting Futures to create apprenticeships for promising young sports leaders.

Highfields PE teacher and RDSSP School Sport Coordinator, Jayne Allen said: “It is wonderful to see a dedicated, passionate and hard working student being honoured for their fantastic volunteer work and commitment to sport. Callum works tirelessly with youngsters across Matlock including in school and his spare time, to ensure they have the best opportunities in sports and activities. I am so pleased Callum has been so highly praised for the work he does, and only sorry he did not win the title he so thoroughly deserved.”

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To read more about the Derbyshire County FA Community Awards visit: http://www.derbyshirefa.com/news/2015/apr/dcfa-grassroots-heroes-named

Highfields School website: http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk

Sporting students from Anthony Gell School in Wirksworth, a member of the RDSSP, got the chance to meet and interview top female adventure athletes and filmmakers at the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival (ShAFF).

Ellie Ford and Olivia Holmes attended the special Women in Adventure Network at the tenth annual ShAFF event on Saturday 21st March. The panel of hugely successful elite female role models included ultra-runner, Nikki Kimball; Everest summiter, Squash Falconer; professional stuntwoman, Steph Carey; professional climber, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk; American producer and director, Brenda Piekarski and filmmaker and photographer, Jen Randall.

The network event included video presentations of the highlights of films featuring women in adventure sports, followed by a question and answer session and mini interviews with key audience members on whether we’re starting to see a shift towards seeing equal numbers of women in adventure sports on the big screen, behind the camera and in the audience.

18 year old Ellie, who plays basketball for the Nottingham Wildcats, said: “ShAFF was an amazing opportunity and a great day to be a part of. The women that we met were inspiring and there should be more role models like them for young girls in sport. Personally Squash [Falconer] was my favourite, she was so down to Earth but at the same time she was a woman who had climbed the highest mountain – she didn’t stop at judgment and she did what she wanted to do for herself. I would love to mirror her in my sport and become a great inspiration for other girls.”

SSP Manager, Janice Price, attended the network and also volunteered at the weekend-long adventure film festival. She said: “It was inspirational for the girls to meet the women who’d made films or featured in films at the festival. I don’t think until they got there, they knew quite what to expect but they got a huge deal out of the experience, just by talking to people who had realised their dreams and made things happen.”

“The fact that this is the first year that ShAFF has hosted a big women’s network devoted to the profile of women in sport, I think it’s a sign of the times and there are a lot of incredibly gifted women out there who are doing their own thing, which was really, really good to see.”

ShAFF Festival Director, Matt Heason said: “We were delighted to welcome Ellie and Olivia to ShAFF and I am so pleased they got so much out of the experience and went away feeling inspired by all of the adventurous people on the panel. It’s great that we were able to help bring motivation and encouragement to the next generation of sporting stars.”

Olivia and Ellie were keen to ask the sporting stars what they thought of the nationwide This Girl Can campaign by Sport England, which aims to get women and girls moving, regardless of shape, size and ability.

Squash Falconer said: “I love it! I think it’s absolutely fantastic, I wish I’d thought of it. I think it’s brilliant. I think the best to do is to get out there and tell your story – be brave enough to be vulnerable and show your work. If you’ve got ideas, photos and film, don’t over think it, just put it out there and share it.”

Hannah Maia created and starred in film Megamoon, she said: “I think women need to be more open and supportive of each other. I’m self-taught and I think women don’t shout about what they can do so much because it’s just that lack of confidence so if we can all be supportive and open and tell people when they’re doing a good job, that can only be a good thing. It’s just about every day adventures; you don’t have to be breaking records. Feel like you can get out, get muddy and you can have fun doing it!”

ENDS

About ShAFF: The festival took place from Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd March and showcased more than a hundred of the world’s best adventure, extreme sports and travel films in 30 different themed sessions.

For more info visit: www.shaff.co.uk

Students from Highfields School in Matlock, part of the RDSSP, feature in a brand new online film to highlight the range of sporting careers available to women and girls and to drive out sexism in sport.

Pupils got the chance to interview high profile female role models in the sports industry at an event in London last year and a short film about their day was showcased at a special Careers in Sport evening at Highfields in November, held in conjunction with Women in Sport (formerly known as the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation).

(L to R) Derbyshire Dales Village Games Officer, Becky Bryan; Head Teacher at Highfields, Eddie Wilkes; Strategic Lead for Sport and Fundraising at Women in Sport, Radha Balani; RDSSP Apprentice, Andy Brough and Women in Sport Schools Relationship Manager, Virginia Bailey, also feature in the YouTube film

The footage, which included students interviewing TV presenter, Charlie Webster and women with roles in organizations, including UK Sport and Virgin Active, has been merged with a video record of the evening, to create a YouTube film of their work alongside Women in Sport.

15 year-old Grace Pickford, who was involved in the project, said: “The best bit was going to London to interview so many women with different roles in the sport industry. We got to find out about their careers and how they got there. We want to thank Ms Allen [RDSSP School Sport Coordinator] for the opportunities. We wouldn’t have been able to do it if she hadn’t backed us. Getting involved has been the best thing we’ve done.”

15 year-old fellow students Emily Hancock and Mimi Evans, and 16 year-old Niamh Robertson said: “Being involved with the RDSSP has opened so many doors for us, it’s been mind-blowing. It’s helped us to develop skills in teaching and become more confident. We’ve made new friends and it’s given us amazing opportunities like this one.”

The launch of the film follows the inaugural Women’s Sport Conference at Lord’s last year, aimed at improving the gender balance in sport, which the girls also attended.

They had the chance to meet and interview a number of high-profile women figures in the sporting world including Sports Minister, Helen Grant; TV presenters, Clare Balding and Jane Dougall; Olympic athlete, Gail Emms MBE; Captain of the British Fed Cup team, Judy Murray; Chief Executive of England Rugby 2015, Debbie Jevans; CEO of The Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation, Ruth Holdaway; sportswear designer, Lily Rice; and four-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion, Chrissie Wellington.

Highfields PE Teacher and RDSSP School Sport Coordinator, Jayne Allen, said: “The film launch has given the girls excitement. They’ve grown so much in confidence as role models throughout this project. I hope they’ll go back into their year groups and be able to share their passion and interest for Women in Sport with others. Certainly from my point of view, it’s food for thought on how we can transmit that enthusiasm to the rest of the school.”

Strategic Lead for Sport and Fundraising at Women in Sport, Radha Balani, said: “We want to make women realise there’s a place in the sports industry for them and they have every right to it, in the same way as men do. It’s a worthwhile and rewarding career and even if they don’t want a career in sport, being active, healthy and taking part makes such a different to your life generally – physically, emotionally, socially and mentally. So whether you work in sport or not, if you enjoy it, there is never a reason to stop doing it, and being a woman is not a reason to not be playing sport.”

Head Teacher at Highfields, Eddie Wilkes, says: “This work is the tip of a huge iceberg. For the youngsters who’ve produced the brilliant film and spoken to all these amazing people, it’s been the culmination of years of work with the RDSSP. They’ve learnt skills from this experience that don’t just apply to sport, but to life in general. They can think about how this has challenged them, how they’ve been inspired, how they actually deal with situations where they’re not successful, and building on resilience that they’ll need in life as well.”

You can watch the 38 minute video of the evening here (scroll to 5:50 to see short video of the girls at Women In Sport Conference in London)

Find out more about the organisations mentioned above:
• Highfields School website – http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk
• Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership website – http://ruralderbyshiressp.org.uk or follow on Twitter @RuralDerbysSSP
• Women in Sport website – http://www.womeninsport.org or follow on Twitter @Womeninsport_uk

Students at Highfields School in Matlock, part of the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership, are celebrating after the school was awarded the Silver Mark Award for the Sainsbury’s School Games programme.

The Sainsbury’s School Games Mark is a Government led awards scheme launched in 2012 to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community. Schools in England are able to assess themselves across bronze, silver and gold levels of the Mark. All registered schools are able to apply for the Mark.

RDSSP Manager, Janice Price handed over the award as she attended the monthly Voice of Sport meeting at the school, on Friday 12th December.

Highfields PE teacher and RDSSP School Sport Coordinator, Jayne Allen said: “We were all very excited to receive this award. It was the culmination of a year of active participation and great progress – we were so close to gaining Gold, after picking up Bronze last year.”

Two students from Highfields School in Matlock – part of the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership – rubbed shoulders with elite female role models at a recent seminar aimed at nurturing young female talent.

Year 11 pupils, Grace Pickford and Emily Hancock (pictured below) attended the 30% Club event in London on Tuesday 2nd of December, alongside Highfields PE teacher and School Sport Coordinator, Jayne Allen and Highfields Head of Personal Health and Social Education, Jane Turner.

The event, led by 30% Club founder and CEO of Newton Investment Management Helena Morrissey CBE, aimed to set out plans for accelerating change towards better gender balance by turning the attention to nurturing young female talent from ‘schoolroom to boardroom’.

This was the 30% Club’s first seminar focused on pre-work and early careers, aiming to fill gaps where no programme exists as the 30% Club tries to develop a continuum of accelerated change.

The 30% Club’s new partnership with Speakers for Schools, an independent charity that organises free talks by inspirational speakers, including business leaders, for state secondary schools and colleges, was announced at the event.

A number of high-profile figures attended the event, including Minister for Sport, Tourism & Equalities, Helen Grant; Founding Director of Fearless Futures, Hanna McCloskey; CEO of Women in Sport, Ruth Holdaway and Women in Sport Schools Relationship Manager, Virginia Bailey; Professor of Management at the London Business School, Lynda Gratton and Girlguiding Chief Executive, Julie Bentley.

Highfields PE teacher, Jayne Allen, said: “The girls were both nervous and excited to be at the event and amongst such inspirational figures. They did a great job and we’re immensely proud of them.”

Emma Howard Boyd, Steering Committee Member of the 30% Club commented: “The 30% Club has traditionally focussed on women who have already reached a reasonably senior level in the workforce. This changed last year, when we began working with early and mid-career women, and we are now building on this to target sixth form students. We hope that by collaborating with Speakers for Schools, the 30% Club will help encourage students to aspire to reach their full potential and increase their confidence, which will serve them well as they enter the world of work.”

ENDS

About The 30% Club (taken from 30percentclub.org)
The 30% Club is a group of business leaders committed to achieving better gender balance at all levels of organisations, because we believe this will make businesses and boards more effective.
We are taking voluntary steps towards the goal of 30% women on boards by 2015 and believe strongly that business-led change is the right way forward.
We do not support mandatory quotas; the experience of Norway (where still just 5% of CEOs are women) shows that a quota system does not lead to sustainable change in the executive pipeline. Meanwhile, concerted efforts by men and women working together on the issue over the past four years, following the launch of the 30% Club in 2010 and the publication of the Davies Report into Women on Boards in 2011, have led to a rapid acceleration in the pace of change in the UK.
In the year ended February 2012, 27% of FTSE 100 and 25% of FTSE 250 board appointments were female – in the six months ended September 2014, these figures rose to 33% and 31% respective – whilst work remains to be done in terms of increasing the numbers of women appointed to executive versus non-executive positions, this is a significant shift in the momentum of change. For more info visit 30percentclub.org

Students from Highfields School in Matlock, Derbyshire have praised the support and guidance of the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership and ‘Women in Sport’ after the first screening of a film to highlight the range of sporting careers available to women and girls.

Women in Sport (formerly known as the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation) premiered the “Careers in Sport” film at Highfields on Tuesday 18th November. It showed three students interviewing women working throughout in sport including TV presenter, Charlie Webster, and women with roles in organizations, including UK Sport and Virgin Active. Its aim is to help address a situation which sees women underrepresented at all levels of the sports industry.

15 year-old Grace Pickford, who was involved in the project, said: “The best bit was going to London to interview so many women with different roles in the sport industry. We got to find out about their careers and how they got there. We want to thank Ms Allen [RDSSP School Sport Coordinator] for the opportunities. We wouldn’t have been able to do it if she hadn’t backed us. Getting involved has been the best thing we’ve done.”

15 year-old fellow students Emily Hancock and Mimi Evans, and 16 year-old Niamh Robertson said: “Being involved with the RDSSP has opened so many doors for us, it’s been mind-blowing. It’s helped us to develop skills in teaching and become more confident. We’ve made new friends and it’s given us amazing opportunities like this one.”

The school’s Voice of Sport Representative, 14 year old Sophie Hamilton-Cody said: “Ms Allen has been so encouraging, she works to get girls in my year involved in sport and so many are now getting involved and enjoying it. It’s given us so many prospects and has been really good fun.”

The launch of the short video follows the inaugural Women’s Sport Conference at Lord’s last month, aimed at improving the gender balance in sport, which the girls also attended.

They had the chance to meet and interview a number of high-profile women figures in the sporting world including Sports Minister, Helen Grant; TV presenters, Clare Balding and Jane Dougall; Olympic athlete, Gail Emms MBE; Captain of the British Fed Cup team, Judy Murray; Chief Executive of England Rugby 2015, Debbie Jevans; CEO of The Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation, Ruth Holdaway; sportswear designer, Lily Rice; and four-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion, Chrissie Wellington.

RDSSP School Sport Coordinator, Jayne Allen, said: “The film launch has given the girls excitement. They’ve grown so much in confidence as role models throughout this project. I hope they’ll go back into their year groups and be able to share their passion and interest for Women in Sport with others. Certainly from my point of view, it’s food for thought on how we can transmit that enthusiasm to the rest of the school.”

Strategic Lead for Sport and Fundraising at Women in Sport, Radha Balani, said: “We want to see more women in the industry and make women realise that sport isn’t the easy option. By exposing the type of jobs available in the industry and the skills you may need, for example, to be a sports lawyer, you need to be as competent as a property lawyer.”

“We want to make women realise there’s a place in the sports industry for them and they have every right to it, in the same way as men do. It’s a worthwhile and rewarding career and even if they don’t want a career in sport, being active, healthy and taking part makes such a different to your life generally – physically, emotionally, socially and mentally. So whether you work in sport or not, if you enjoy it, there is never a reason to stop doing it, and being a woman is not a reason to not be playing sport.”

Head Teacher at Highfields, Eddie Wilkes, says: “This work is the tip of a huge iceberg. For the youngsters who’ve produced the brilliant film and spoken to all these amazing people, it’s been the culmination of years of work with the RDSSP. They’ve learnt skills from this experience that don’t just apply to sport, but to life in general. They can think about how this has challenged them, and how they can meet the challenges in their day-to-day life, how they’ve been inspired, how they actually deal with situations where they’re not successful, and building on resilience that they’ll need in life as well. Working together as a team, relying on others and being relied on, there are so many different dimensions to this.”

ENDS

Film available to view here https://vimeo.com/112395006

Photos above include students chatting to Clare Balding and Chrissie Wellington. Download high resolution images: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjCz9zKZ
Find out more about the organisations mentioned above:
• Highfields School website – http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk
• Women in Sport website – http://www.womeninsport.org or follow on Twitter @Womeninsport_uk

About Women in Sport
Women in Sport (formerly the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation) is the leading charity dedicated to transforming sport for the benefit of every woman and girl in the UK.

With 30 years’ experience of working in the sport sector, Women in Sport draws on its unique insight to champion the right of every woman and girl in the UK to take part in, and benefit from, sport: from the field of play to the boardroom, from early years and throughout her life.

Youngsters from RDSSP member primary schools are celebrating after a successful but muddy, tag-rugby festival at cluster secondary school, Lady Manners in Bakewell.

The competition for local feeder primary schools on Wednesday 12th November was organised by School Sport Coordinator Jayne Roach.

During the event, two round-robin tournaments took place; one for eight large schools, and one for four smaller schools, involving approximately 140 primary school pupils from the area. 30 more children played non-competitive rugby based games meaning everyone was outside learning and enjoying the fresh air!

Jayne Roach said: “This is one of our many tournaments organised to encourage participation in sport within the surrounding schools and community and to develop transitional links between the primary schools and secondary school. In both the small and large school tournaments the standard of play was very high and extremely competitive, the players ended up very muddy, but having very much enjoyed the afternoon.”

The tournaments concluded with closely fought battles for the highest positions and as a result the final point totals were very close.

In the large schools tournament, with a difference of only 3 points, Curbar pupils were victorious and Longstone’s first team players were runners up. Curbar students did especially well as they are classed as a small school but opted to enter the large schools competition and ended up winning this section.

Head Teacher of Curbar Primary, Anthony Tierney said: “I am very proud of the children. The kids love a challenge. The team work and experience of performing in both a winning and a losing team, which they gain from these festivals and tournaments, is crucial in preparing them for secondary school and for life in the future.”

In the small schools tournament, Stanton-in-Peak C of E Primary School was victorious, Taddington C of E Primary and Great Hucklow C of E Primary tied as runners up.

Head Teacher at Stanton-in-Peak C of E Primary, Caroline Poole said: “Many children from small primary schools don’t receive opportunities like this and so it is great to be able to play other schools and be challenged. The children love meeting youngsters from other schools whom they know from extra –curricular activities and they especially enjoy the winning aspect of such events.”

The afternoon was concluded with an awards ceremony, with participants receiving a certificate to congratulate them on their hard work and participation.

Curbar Primary School will go through to represent the Lady Manners cluster at the SSP finals on Friday the 5th of December – and SSCo Jayne Roach says she and the rest of her team wish them the very best of luck.

Lady Manners School Sport Leaders, Emily Dale and Emily Stefan, who helped to organise the event, and collated the information and photograph for this report said: “Many of the children said that they really enjoyed the day and couldn’t wait to come back and play in another festival hosted by Lady Manners.”

ENDS

Contact details for local schools mentioned above available here: ruralderbyshiressp.org.uk/families/lady-manners-bakewell

Students from RDSSP member secondary school, Highfields, in Matlock, took part in a prestigious event at Headingly Carnegie Stadium in Leeds to celebrate and showcase their contribution to the national Get Set to Make a Change (GSTMC) initiative.

Pupils  met with Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle and Paralympic wheelchair athlete Hannah Cockroft in recognition for being amongst 7,000 Legacy Leaders across the UK, aged 14-19, who pledged to make their communities better and healthier places to live.

GSTMC – funded by the Big Lottery Fund through its ‘Keeping the Spirit of 2012 Alive’ campaign – is part of the Get Set youth engagement programme delivered in partnership by the British Olympic Foundation (BOF) and British Paralympic Association (BPA).

Highfields year 11, 12 and 13 students, Sarah Needham, Harry Hurst, Oliver Walden, Annabel MacGregor, Chris Statham, Callum Rose, Grace Pickford, Emily Hancock and Niamh Robertson attended the special event.

The students took part in activities to report back on their projects and worked together with other young people to inspire and come up with ideas for pledges to be made next year.

There were also activities to take part in such as the 100m dash on Mario! Oliver Walden proved very good at that and won the prize for the best student time.

The Highfields girls also took part in a dance routine on the stage which was broadcast live on social media.

Highfields PE teacher and School Sport Coordinator Jayne Allen said: “It was a true red carpet event and I was very proud of the achievements of our Legacy Leaders who had worked so hard and proved themselves at every step of the journey.”

RDSSP Sport Apprentice, Andy Brough who was a Legacy Leader last year, said: “It was a brilliant night to celebrate all we had done and achieved, and was great to share with other schools and see and hear what they had done too.”

Pupils from Highfields are one of 443 schools and youth groups that made over 500 pledges and reached more than 18,000 members of their local communities. The young people organised a range of activities including sports events, working with the elderly, providing sensory gardens for visually-impaired pupils and supporting children in a homeless shelter. The GSTMC initiative will run until March 2014.

Chief Executive of the British Olympic Foundation, Jan Paterson said: “Two years on from London 2012 I am delighted to see so many young people still inspired by the Games and the Olympic Values of excellence, friendship and respect. Get Set to Make a Change has turned inspiration into action by giving young people the opportunity to make an important difference in their own communities. I hope that through the Celebration events the Legacy Leaders continue to be inspired, not only by the Games, but also one another and what they have achieved so far.”

Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association, Tim Hollingsworth said: “London 2012 was a fantastic platform for the Paralympic movement and the British public really embraced what Paralympic sport is all about. Get Set to Make a Change has helped us to build on this engagement with young people and further promote the Paralympic Values of determination, inspiration, courage and equality which are epitomized by our athletes and feature at the very heart of this initiative. It’s fantastic that, through Get Set to Make a Change, more than 7,000 Legacy Leaders have made a real difference in their communities and developed valuable life skills at the same time. Our Get Set youth engagement programme, in partnership with the BOF, will continue to keep the spirit of 2012 alive and support our work to promote more positive perceptions of disability.”

Big Lottery Fund Chair, Peter Ainsworth said: “These survey results confirm the life-changing work that the Get Set To Make A Change campaign has delivered. The Legacy Leaders have helped to make their local communities a better place to live as well as developing personal skills that will serve them well, long into the future and I am proud that the Big Lottery Fund’s Keeping the Spirit of 2012 Alive campaign helped make this possible.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Get Set to Make a Change (www.makeachange.org.uk) takes the Olympic Values (friendship, excellence and respect) and Paralympic Values (inspiration, determination, courage and equality) out into communities. Through the programme, teams of 14-19 year olds planned and delivered sport and healthy eating projects and events, called pledges, which aimed to make their communities healthier, more active places to live.

Find Get Set to Make a Change on social media:
Facebook: Get Set to Make a Change
Twitter: @getsettochange

• The Big Lottery Fund is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery.
• The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since its inception in 2004 it has awarded close to £6bn.
• In the year ending 31 March 2013, 28% of total National Lottery revenue was awarded to projects. Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £32 billion has been raised and more than 400,000 grants awarded.
• With its share of the money raised from the sale of the Olympic Village the Big Lottery Fund established the Spirit of 2012 Trust to deliver an Olympic and Paralympic legacy for communities across the UK. More information can be found on the website http://www.spiritof2012trust.org.uk

Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website: http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk .

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888, Out of hours: 07867 500 572, Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030, Textphone: 08456 021 659

Research conducted by EdComs showed a marked development both in the life skills of the young people involved in the GSTMC project and the way they are perceived within their communities.

– The majority of Legacy Leaders reported that their involvement in GSTMC had a positive impact and developed their life skills: leadership (84%); working as part of a team (81%) and meeting new people (82%) Young people who did not participate in the programme were also interviewed and far fewer agreed they had skills in these areas.
– 79% said that they had boosted their confidence and self-esteem through organising GSTMC activities in their communities.
– Some 88% of the adults questioned reported that they held a more positive opinion of young people than in the past.
– 80% of Legacy Leaders agreed that GSTMC has inspired them to get involved in other community activities.

HOPE VALLEY COLLEGE – SET TO BECOME A CYCLING HUB IN RURAL DERBYSHIRE

Following the success of Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership member schools in the
new cyclo-cross competition at this summer’s Derbyshire School Games, Hope Valley College – one of the five secondary schools in the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership – is set to become a key hub for cycling in rural Derbyshire with a new programme of British Cycling supported coaching sessions for the students and local community.

Assistant Principal Richard Beeden, said, “We have been identified by British Cycling as a hotbed for cycling development. We’ll be an affiliated club which will mean primary school children in the area as well as local adults will benefit from regular 6 week blocks of coaching.”

Hope Valley College’s Bike Club has been running for four years. The school boasts a 500m bike track and a fleet of 10 mountain bikes and a new Pump Track is near completion.

In September, hundreds of riders took part in the 14th edition of the annual Hope Valley Mountain Bike Challenge charity ride, organized by the schools Parent Teachers and Friends Association to raise money for the school and local mountain rescue teams.

Each week Mountain Bike coach Ian Pollard spends Wednesdays working with groups of
students and each month on Saturday mornings Richard Beeden organises a bike club for
primary school children in the Hope Valley.

Mr Beeden added, “Our success at the School Games was a big reward for our investment with the children. The children really enjoyed the competitive aspect. We had to pick a team of 6 from 15 to 20 who wanted to go but they understand their strengths and weaknesses. Like any sport some are better than others but the PE Department have really embraced cycling.”

“Cycling is part of PE lessons – just like football or rugby – and for the last four years at Sports Day we’ve had a cyclo-pursuit event.”

“Community links are very important. Hope Valley is a community college so we already have a lot of resources on site that local people use like the library and there are often adult classes at the same times as the student lessons so cycling is simply an extension of that. For example, the new pump track will be available for community use.”

ENDS

Rural Derbyshire Schools Sport Partnership
Aspire, Achieve, Advance
Based at Anthony Gell School, Wirksworth, Via Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 4DX
Partnership Development Manager: Janice Price
Email: jprice@anthonygell.derbyshire.sch.uk
Tel: 01629 825577 Fax: 01629 824864 Mobile: 07930 358346

Photo above shows Hope Valley College students celebrating gold in Cyclo-Cross at Derbyshire School Games in July 2014.

Hope Valley College website address www.hvcollege.com

Derbyshire School Games (July) Results
GOLD: Yr 5&6 Cyclocross – A mixed RDSSP team with pupils from Great Hucklow, Osmaston & Lea secured joint top position with the team Amber Valley team.
GOLD: Yr 7&8 Cyclocross – Riders from Hope Valley College claimed the top spot in this new event.
SILVER: Yr 7&8 Cyclocross – A mixed team from Anthony Gell and Highfields rode their hearts out against stiff competition from some nationally ranked cyclists.

Read the full Derbyshire School Games Report results in our September newsletter:
https://ruralderbyshiressp.org.uk/home/newsletter/newsletter-sept-2014/
https://ruralderbyshiressp.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/rdsspnewslettersept2014_final.pdf

A number of RDSSP Young Leaders from Highfields School in Matlock are set to showcase a special film they’ve produced about the role of women in sport.

The launch of the short video follows the inaugural Women’s Sport Conference at Lord’s on Thursday 30th of October, aimed at improving the gender balance in sport.

Students had the chance to meet and interview a number of high-profile women figures in the sporting world including Sports Minister, Helen Grant; TV presenters, Clare Balding and Jane Dougall; Olympic athlete, Gail Emms MBE; Captain of the British Fed Cup team, Judy Murray; Chief Executive of England Rugby 2015, Debbie Jevans; CEO of The Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation, Ruth Holdaway; sportswear designer, Lily Rice; and four-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion, Chrissie Wellington.

The visit comes as pupils have been involved in the Youth Sport Trust’s ‘Girls Active’ Project about girls’ participation in sport.

Highfields PE teacher, Jayne Allen, attended the conference and says: “It showed the girls that there are so many diverse sporting pathways and careers open to them and by interviewing numerous high-status figures, they were able to find out who influenced them and their career choices and subsequent rise up the ladders of their professions.”

RDSSP Manager, Janice Price, was also at the London event alongside the students and says: “It’s great that Women in Sport is working to transform sport for women and girls by making it fairer and breaking down barriers. Our motto at the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership, ‘Advance, Achieve, Aspire’ sums up our ambition to encourage young people to push themselves, support each other and lead by example.”

“Sport isn’t just about physical activity – it’s also about teaching values of team-building, leadership, inclusivity and friendship as well as nurturing our most talented athletes and supporting the less able.”

The film will be showcased at a Careers in Sport evening at Highfield’s in Matlock on Tuesday the 18th of November.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

For more information, to arrange an interview or organise going along to the event on the night, contact Rebecca Cassidy on r.cassidy15@hotmail.co.uk or call 07507 669 440

Photos above include students chatting to Clare Balding, Jane Dougall, Gail Emms and Chrissie Wellington. Download high resolution images: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjCz9zKZ

The Careers in Sport event is taking place in the Wheeldon Hall (Upper Site) at Highfields School in Matlock on Tuesday 18th November from 6.30-8pm.

Highfields School,
Upper Lumsdale,
Matlock,
Derbyshire
DE4 5NA
Telephone: 01629 581888
Fax: 01629 57572

Find out more about the organisations mentioned above:
• Highfields School website – http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk
• Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership website – http://ruralderbyshiressp.org.uk or follow on Twitter @RuralDerbysSSP
• Women in Sport website – http://www.womeninsport.org or follow on Twitter @Womeninsport_uk
• Youth Sport Trust website – http://www.youthsporttrust.org or follow on Twitter @YouthSportTrust

The Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership is proud to be working with Sporting Futures to create apprenticeships for promising young sports leaders.  This term we’ve taken on three 17 year olds – Sam May, James Bates and Andy Brough.

Andy Brough, a platinum Young Leader and member of Highfields’ Sports Leadership Adademy, who was recently highly commended for his volunteering work at the Derbyshire School Sports Association Awards, gives his initial impressions.

And Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership Management Assistant, Eliot Martin-French, quizzes James and Sam in more detail.

Andy Brough (right) with volleyballer Maria Bertelli & Sam May at School Games

Andy: My first week was wonderful but a little bit bizarre.  Going from being a student at Highfields to staff is very weird but everyone has been great and I am really enjoying it.

I help out in many different PE lessons for different year groups so I get a chance to see lots of students. it was a slow start to the year but things are kicking off now with clubs starting and Sportsleaders about to begin we will soon be fully underway. I have been doing lots of different things from teaching and playing new sports to creating new display boards.

We had a great day at our induction with Sporting Futures to properly get our course started and understand what we have to do. It was great to see Jill and Tom from Sporting Futures to see how we are doing and make sure we are okay.  They were also very interested in how the School Games went. I am looking forward t the rest of my year here at Highfields.

RDSSP Apprentice Sam May

Sam:  I am placed with the RDSSP at Anthony Gell for 2 days a week plus one day at Wirksworth Infants and one day at Wirksworth C of E Infants as well.

James: I’ve been posted at the RDSSP as well as Turnditch Primary School for a day a week and Middleton Primary School for a day a week.

What attracted you to the role?

Sam: It was a really good stepping stone from the sports leadership I was doing at Highfields previously and I thought it would benefit me a lot in the future as well.

James: It was mainly the experience I can gain from it was very enticing. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was young, teaching sport to other kids to motivate them to be the best that they can be.

What do you expect to gain from your placements?

Sam: With infants it’s a new experience because I haven’t worked with children of that age before and I feel I can use my knowledge to help build and improve their skills.

With the secondary I feel quite confident with them and I can use my knowledge to help but up their characteristics in sports.

James: From the primary schools I want to gain the experience of having an impact on the children – helping them to get better and be more confident at sport and at secondary I’d like to get a bit more knowledge of behind-the-scenes, organising competitions and how it’s all done.

What other attributes can you bring to the role?

Sam: I’m quite confident because I used to do Drama at A level and GCSE and so I feel that being able to express myself will help me keep lessons more interesting.

James: My greatest attribute is my enthusiasm but I’m also punctual, hard-working and knowledgeable about a lot of sports because I did leadership qualifications at Highfields when I was at secondary school.

How are you finding the transition from classroom to staff room?

Sam: Quite easy because I feel I’ve got that responsibility now and I feel I’ve got to maintain that level of professionalism.

James: It was difficult at first but as the weeks have gone on it’s become a bit easier.  I still find it hard to control a class of kids if they are being a bit disobedient but in small groups I’m confident.

Can you describe your role in 3 words?

Sam: Different, enjoyable and challenging.

James: Different, exciting and hilarious.

Would you recommend the apprenticeship?

Sam: Yes because I feel it can benefit you more than A levels in some ways, giving you options and more opportunities like coaching and teaching but also coaching qualifications. For example I’ve just done my Level 1 Football and I’m about to do my Level 1 Table Tennis coaching – both of which I’ve been able to do through doing this RDSSP apprenticeship. They are my two favourite sports but any coaching would be really beneficial as well.

James: I definitely would.  It’s a great route to take if you want to go into this as a career instead of taking A-levels because a lot of universities and jobs look for experience.

Hopefully I can get a career in this sort of job which is what I really want to do and maybe go to university and get a teaching degree to teach primary or secondary school.  I’ve not quite decided yet.

Congratulations from the RDSSP to all the nominees, runners up and winners of last night’s Derbyshire Dales District Council Sports Awards including, we’re proud to say, several RDSSP students.

Caroline Povey (left); Eliot Martin-French (centre back); Annabel MacGregor (far right)

• Callum Gascoyne (Highfields) won Junior Sportsman of the Year.
• 10 year old swimmer Brandon Hotham (Monyash Primary School) was runner up in the Junior Sportsman of the Year category.  Brandon has a host of County titles in different strokes & distances.
• Tennis player Sam Butler (Norbury Primary School) was also nominated in this category.
• Callum Rose (Highfields) was awarded Runner Up in the Boys’ Sportsleaders/Coach of the Year category.
• Sarah Needham (Highfields) won Girls Sportsleader/Coach of the Year
• Annabel Macgregor (Highfields) was awarded Runner Up in the Girls’ Sportsleader/Coach of the Year.

Continue reading →

Member schools of the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership were recognized for their sporting success at the Derbyshire Schools’ Sports Association Awards at Chesterfield FC’s Proact Stadium on Thursday night (18 Sept).

The top three performing schools in each of the Derbyshire School Games Championships were announced, and the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership – which includes feeder primary schools for Highfields, Anthony Gell, Hope Valley College, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School and Lady Manners Schools – was declared the winner of the Derbyshire School Games Primary Competitions Championship.

Organised by the Derbyshire Schools’ Sports Association (DSSA), the event honoured those who have excelled in school sport or sport outside of school, and paid tribute to some of those who have made a valuable voluntary contribution to school sport with awards also presented to young leaders and adult volunteers, as well as to those who have made a contribution to school sport through media and arts. In addition to the RDSSP primary school members’ win, the achievements of four secondary school pupils were singled out.

Highfields students Andrew Brough (17) and Sarah Needham (17) were highly commended in the Secondary School Young Leader of the Year category.

Andy and Sarah are both members of the Sports Leadership Academy and platinum Young Ambassadors. Andy has given over 200 hours of volunteering and spent four days at the National School Games in Sheffield, volunteering in table tennis, athletics and volleyball. He also led workshops at the Change 4 Life Health Champions Day organized with the RDSSP in February.

Sarah has totaled 400 hours of volunteering – including four days at the National School Games in Sheffield. She is on the Highfield School Games organising committee, the Voice of Sport Group and is an Olympic Legacy Leader. Sarah has also led school assemblies at Highfields and the feeder primaries as well as leading VIPs from across Derbyshire at the Health Champion Day.

Anthony Gell students Olivia Holmes (14) and Lewis Hall (12), were both highly commended in the Individual Achievement – Non-School Sport category.

Olivia competes in Taekwondo and holds the English, Irish, Scottish and World title for sparring. Lewis has competed in national motorcross championships including the Red Bull Pro Nationals and GT Cup, and was the 2013 British Champion in the 65cc class and represented Great Britain in an inter-provincial championship in South Africa.

RDSSP School Sport Coordinator for Highfields, Jayne Allen (pictured above left), and Commonwealth Class Project captain Annabel MacGregor (pictured above centre) were also called up on stage to report back on their visit to the Commonwealth Games.

RDSSP Partnership Manager Janice Price (pictured left) said: “I’m so proud of the achievements of our members schools. It’s great to see the commitment of our secondary school students recognised. Many of our primary school members are small, often isolated rural schools, lacking facilities and specialist sports staff. Being a member of a bigger network backed by our five secondary schools allows them not just to compete but to excel on a county wide level.” 

“These awards top an amazing year. In July 50 year 5 and 6 pupils attended our Gifted and Talented Academy supported by 24 Young Leaders from Lady Manners, Anthony Gell, Queen Elizabeth’s, Hope Valley and Highfields. In August, following Highfields’ winning the Commonwealth Class Project, student Annabel Macgregor and School Sport Coordinator Jayne Allen attended the Commonwealth Games. And earlier this month 8 students from Highfields were picked to volunteer at the volleyball and athletes at Sainsbury’s national level School Games in Manchester.”

ENDS

Images:

Awards image: https://flic.kr/p/pkSW3U and https://flic.kr/p/p4qthT (credit Derbyshire Sport)

Cyclo Cross Winners, Derbyshire School Games 2014: https://flic.kr/p/p4ecYv and https://flic.kr/p/pks7z4 (credit RDSSP)

Summary of Rewards & Recognition for pupils & school Teams in Rural Derbyshire SSP Schools

Secondary School Team Awards

Nominated 
Highfields School Yr 11 football team (County Cup winners)
Lady Manners – Junior Girls Athletics (County Cup winners)

Secondary School Young Leader Awards

Highly Commended – Andy Brough & Sarah Needham – Highfields School

Individual Achievement – Secondary

Nominated

Daniel Wellbourne-Hesp (Sailing) – Anthony Gell School
Amelie Wayte (Cyclo cross) – Highfields School
Elizabeth Wall (Squash) Lady Manners
Ellie Smith (Cyclo-cross) Anthony Gell School
Ciara Shaw (Badminton) QEGs
Katy Gigg (Football) Anthony Gell School

Highly Commended

Olivia Holmes (Tae Kwando) – Anthony Gell School
Lewis Hall (Motorcross) – Anthony Gell School

Individual Achievement – Primary

Nominated

Brandon Hotham (Swimming) Monyash Primary School
Sam Butler (Tennis) Norbury Primary School

Sainsburys School Games Awards

SEN Plus competition – Secondary

=3rd Anthony Gell
6th Lady Manners
10th Hope Valley College

Primary

9th All Saints Junior School

Secondary School Championships

(ALL Derbyshire secondary schools, cumulative points from performance at County finals throughout the 2013-2014 year)

= 4th Lady Manners 8th Hope Valley College
=12th – Anthony Gell & QEGs Primary School Championships

(All Derbyshire primary schools, cumulative points from performance at County finals throughout the year)

2nd – Osmaston Primary School
25th –Kniveton Primary School
33rd Turnditch Primary School
Also featured Kirk Ireton, Bradwell Juniors, Darley Dale, parkside, Lea & Great Hucklow Overall

Sainsburys Derbyshire School Games Championship (Primary) Winners

Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership

Press Release: Monday 22nd September 2014

Disability sport in the Derbyshire Dales is set to receive a welcome boost after the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership, Derbyshire Sport and Derbyshire Dales District Council received an £7,935 joint award from Sport England to purchase new equipment.

The money will be used to purchase New Age Kurling equipment and Seated Volleyball kit which will open up opportunities to increase numbers of young people in local secondary schools and community clubs playing these inclusive disability-friendly sports for the first time.

Janice Price, Partnership Development Manager at the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership, which develops opportunities for high quality PE & sport in the Derbyshire Dales and Hope Valley, said: “This is great news.  We’re committed to building on the legacy of the Paralympic games to inspire students with special educational needs and physical disabilities and support them to make sport and physical activity a part of their everyday life.” 

“Our students with Special Educational Needs have a strong record in competitions like the School Games and this will help us widen the range of sports on offer.  New Age Kurling and Seated Volleyball are also both brilliant sports because people of all abilities are able to play them together.  I’m really grateful to both Derbyshire Sport and Derbyshire Dales for their support in securing this bid.”

Lisa O’Keefe, Sport England’s Director of Insight, says: “We know that many organisations and clubs delivering sport struggle to provide sporting opportunities for disabled people because of a lack of access to specialist equipment. We are delighted to award these vital funds jointly to Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership, Derbyshire Sport and Derbyshire Dales District Council which will play a transformative role in opening up sport to many people who previously found it inaccessible.”

The award is part of Sport England’s ‘Get Equipped’ fund which was designed to build on the success of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. £1 million of National Lottery funding is being distributed to organisations across England to allow them to provide specialist equipment which will help make sport a practical choice for many more disabled people inspired by the Games.

The number of disabled people playing sport regularly is on the rise. In December, Sport England’s Active People Survey – an annual, in-depth measure of the nation’s sporting habits – revealed that a record number of disabled people in England now play sport each week. The number of disabled people aged 16 and over playing sport once a week has increased by 62,000 over the last year, bringing the total number to its highest recorded figure of 1.67 million, 351,000 more than in 2005 when London won the bid to host the Games.

However, non-disabled people are still twice as likely to play sport as disabled people (39.2 per cent compared to 18.5 per cent) which is why Sport England continues to focus attention and investment to address this imbalance.

–    Ends –

Image caption: Seated Volleyball, RDSSP Students Attending 2014 Young Ambassador Training at Pride Park Derby. Click here to download high resolution images (for editorial use only): https://www.flickr.com/photos/lissacook/sets/72157631836027627/

For further information, please contact: Lissa Cook, Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership PR on 07818 411 791 or lissa@lissacookpr.co.uk or RDSSP Partnership Manager Janice Price via email jprice@anthonygell.derbyshire.sch.uk or phone 07930 358 346.

About Sport England
Sport England is focused on helping people and communities across the country create a sporting habit for life. We will invest over £1 billion of National Lottery and Exchequer funding between 2012 and 2017 in organisations and projects that will:

•    Help more people have a sporting habit for life
•    Create more opportunities for young people to play sport
•    Nurture and develop talent
•    Provide the right facilities in the right places
•    Support local authorities and unlock local funding
•    Ensure real opportunities for communities.

The National Lottery has been changing lives for over 18 years.  Every week National Lottery players raise over £30 million to help change people’s lives across the UK.

The search is on for the UK’s most adventurous young person. We’re looking for the best runners, bikers, climbers, cavers, skiers, skateboarders, free-runners, kayakers and sailors in the country.

Following the success of the ‘Derbyshire Young Adventurer of the Year’ Awards, won last year by 16 year old Peak District cyclist Tom Craig, this year the awards are being opened up to applicants from anywhere in Britain.  (We will retain a stand-alone ‘Derbyshire Young Adventurer of the Year’ category with special prize.  The local winner will also be eligible to win the national award).

The winner of the new, nationwide ‘University of Derby Young Adventurer of The Year’ competition will be announced at an awards ceremony at Oaklands Manor Outdoor Leadership Centre on Friday 10 October as part of the third Buxton Adventure Festival on Saturday-Sunday 11-12 October.

PRIZES

The overall nationwide winner will be awarded the Young Adventurer of The Year trophy and an iPad.  Our two runners up will also each receive an iPad.  There will be an additional special prize for our top Derbyshire nominee of an ‘Adventure Day’ experience at Oaklands Manor Outdoor Leadership Centre for themselves and up to 20 classmates.

All nominees short-listed by our judges will be invited to the awards evening and receive a medal and two free tickets to our Saturday morning Young Adventurers’ session.

A PACKED PEAK DISTRICT WEEKEND

This year’s Buxton Adventure Festival will be held alongside the University of Derby’s Open Day and Activities at the Devonshire Dome for students interested in applying for courses in Sports Performance and Outdoor Leadership, and The Great Peak District Fair and Buxton Beer Festival in the Pavilion Gardens celebrating the best of the Peak District’s products and produce.
Tickets for BAF will be on sale from August and entry to the Open Day and Fair are both free.

NOMINATE A YOUNG ADVENTURER (CLICK HERE)

Do you know a young person who is excelling in adventure sports?  Are they pushing their boundaries? Or have they overcome a challenge or demonstrated great progress in the face of adversity?

Perhaps they are leading by example, volunteering or coaching to help others reach their potential?  We want to hear their story.

Tell us in 250 words or less why you want to nominate your son, daughter, young relative, friend or classmate, student or club member, fellow team member or even yourself!

Professor Nick Draper, Head of School of Sport Performance and Outdoor Leadership, “Last year’s awards were a huge success.  Our shortlist of 17 nominees featured runners, climbers, walkers, cyclists, sailors and even a 9 year old speed skater.  This year, to reflect the growing popularity of sport performance and outdoor leadership courses with students from all over the country, we want to make the awards nationwide.”

Dr Peter Dewhurst, Strategic Director at the University of Derby, Buxton said: “The aim of the award is to encourage and inspire the next generation of adventurers.  Adventure is at the heart of our outdoors courses at Oaklands Manor Outdoor Leadership Centre where we equip our students with the practical skills needed to face the challenges they will encounter whether they go on to work in the outdoors industry or become explorers and adventurers themselves.”

Matt Heason, Buxton Adventure Festival Director said:  “With the Peak District National Park on our doorstep, Derbyshire’s always attracted some of the world’s best adventure sports athletes.  It’s great to be able to work with our title sponsor The University of Derby to encourage the next generation of talent from all over the UK.  I hope to be booking some of our nominees to be speaking at events about their adventures in years to come.”

Janice Price, Partnership Manager at the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership which helps provide quality PE and sports opportunities for schools in rural areas said:  “Last year’s awards were truly inspiring.  The depth of talent and enthusiasm within Derbyshire alone is staggering.”

“For example, one of our students, 17 year old Laurie Butler from Anthony Gell School in Wirksworth, who won the Young Leader award last year, is in training for a 1,000 mile cycle ride with his friends from Derbyshire to Germany this summer to raise money for Amnesty International”  (Donate to their trip here:  https://www.justgiving.com/twowheelstwintowns/.  Laurie is pictured left with Janice Price and Cameron Orr)

A special guest speaker will present the winners with medals and prizes and give a keynote speech at an exclusive, invitation-only awards ceremony evening at the Oaklands Manor Outdoor Leadership Centre at University of Derby, Buxton on Friday 10 October ahead of the Buxton Adventure Festival opening on Saturday 11 October.
ENDS
Press release Thursday 3 July 2014

Contact details:

• Buxton Adventure Festival PR Lissa Cook 07818 411 791 / 01663 751 126 / lissa@heason.net or Festival Director Matt Heason matt@heason.net
• University of Derby James Mitchell at J.Mitchell@derby.ac.uk

Notes To Editors:

• The Buxton Adventure Festival Young Adventurer Of The Year Awards are proudly presented by the University of Derby in partnership with the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership.
• 2013 Awards Nominees: https://ruralderbyshiressp.org.uk/2013/11/01/youngadventurernominations/
• 2013 Awards Winners https://ruralderbyshiressp.org.uk/2013/11/01/youngadventurerwinner/
• The Buxton Adventure Festival is a weekend long celebration of inspiring speakers and films at the Pavilion Arts Centre, part of Buxton Opera House.  11-12 October. www.buxtonadventurefestival.co.uk
• Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5ps8QNaJ1c
• Our programme will be announced soon with tickets going on sale in August from Buxton Opera House including a special Saturday morning Young Adventurers session; family-friendly Adventure Bites film loop; High Peak Tri Club’s Children’s Swim-Run Aquathlon, plus free activities with the YHA and Derbyshire Village Games.

Terms & conditions

• Nominations must be submitted online: http://www.buxtonadventurefestival.co.uk/young-adventurers-awards/#Vote%20for%20Young%20Adventurer%20Of%20The%20Year
• Nominations will close at 5pm on Friday 3rd October.
• Nominees must be 17 or under and live in or go to school/college in the UK on 10th October 2014.  To be considered for the Derbyshire only prize, you must also live in and/or go to school/college in Derbyshire on the 10th October 2014.
• Nominations are open to the public as well as to schools, clubs, groups etc. You may nominate more than one young person (please submit one form per nominee).  You may nominate yourself.
• Our judging panel (to be announced) will draw up a shortlist of nominees who will each receive a medal and an invitation to the awards ceremony at Oaklands Manor Outdoor Leadership Centre on the evening of Friday 10th October plus a free ticket for themselves and an adult to our Saturday morning Young Adventurers Session.
• The top three winners in the nationwide category will each win an iPad (model tbc) from the University of Derby.
• There is an additional prize for the top Derbyshire nominee of an ‘Adventure Day’ experience at Oaklands Manor Outdoor Leadership Centre for themselves and up to 20 classmates.
• The overall winner will also receive the University of Derby Young Adventurer of the Year trophy.
• In the event of a tied decision, Festival Director Matt Heason will have a casting vote.

Students from Highfields School in Matlock, part of the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership, won a trip to Glasgow last week (18 June) as part of the build-up to next month’s Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Highfields has been taking part in a worldwide Commonwealth Games project and their team were chosen as overall Commonwealth Class project winners.  Their prize was an invitation to address schools from across Scotland in the celebrations at a special event at the Science Centre in Glasgow hosted by John Beattie, BBC broadcaster and former Scotland rugby international.

Nine Highfield students and School Sport Coordinator Mrs Jayne Allen met, Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma and displayed their work.  (Pictured above).

Jayne Allen said, “We spent an amazing day in Glasgow and I was very proud listening to our team captains Annabel MacGregor and Oliver Walden answering the questions put to them about their experiences on the project.  It has been a brilliant journey for the students and, as I said on stage, a third of the world’s population live in the Commonwealth and half of those are under 25 so it is very important that we have the opportunity to understand the values of the Commonwealth.”

The group of Year 11 GCSE students from Highfields have been taking part in weekly online debates and work on collaborative projects within a team other schools from Africa, Canada, the Indian subcontinent, and the Caribbean.

They are being mentored by Paralympic swimmer, Susie Rodgers, who won three Bronze medals at her Olympic debut at London 2012.

‘The Commonwealth Class’ is a partnership between the BBC, the British Council and the Commonwealth Secretariat bringing together British schools (of which 3 are in Derbyshire) with schools from across the Commonwealth to learn how to make the most of their place in the Commonwealth and wider world.

ENDS

Press release: Date: Wednesday 25 June 2014

IMAGE:
Highfields students & Mrs Jayne Allen with Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma at Glasgow Science Centre.  Click here to download in high resolution.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Partner schools in Highfields’ Winning Team:

•    Bishop EQ Jennings, Canada
•    SAI International School, India
•    Christ Nagar Higher Secondary School, India
•    SK Assunta, Malaysia
•    Olorunfemi Junior Grammar School (Idimu Junior High School), Nigeria
•    Mount View High School, South Africa
•    St. Anthony’s Girls College, Sri Lanka
•    National Centre for Persons with Disabilities, Trinidad and Tobago

– Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership works closely with Infant, Primary, Secondary & Special schools to develop opportunities for high quality PE & sport in the Dales & Hope Valley.  Our aim is to support schools to deliver an inclusive and enjoyable PE curriculum which is enhanced with extra curricular opportunities to develop & extend skills & abilities through competition and sports festivals.

– More about The Commonwealth Class Project:  http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/projects-and-resources/commonwealth-class

Team GB 2012 Volleyball Captain Maria Bertelli was the guest of honour at Highfields School in Matlock, part of the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership, last week (Friday 16th May).  The athlete unveiled an Olympic Mural – part of sports art legacy project that GCSE and A level art classes and staff have been working on since the 2012 London Games.

The day was a celebration event led by Maria as part of the Get Set to Make A Change project which supports young people to organise community projects inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic values to encourage people in their local area to come together to take part in sport, be more active and lead healthier, balanced lifestyles.

East Midlands Olympic Legacy Officer, Gaynor Nash also attended.  The day was filmed by the Get Set to Make a Change team.

Maria, who then spent the gloriously sunny day at the school leading volleyball workshops with years 6 through to 12, said, “I had a fantastic day.  I’m in awe of the work you are doing at Highfields.  You really are changing lives. It was an absolute pleasure to be involved in some small way.”  

Highfields School Sports Coordinator, Jayne Allen, said, “It was an amazing day.  The art work looks so professional.  Maria is an inspiration and the Highfields student ‘Legacy Leaders’ can be very proud of their achievements, as always.”

Pupils from South Darley Primary School and All Saints Juniors in Matlock also got involved.  Paul Wilde, South Darley Primary Headteacher, said, “The students certainly enjoyed Friday and can’t wait to play this new sport.”

Press release: Friday 23 May 2014

Click here for high resolution images (for one-off editorial use with prior permission)

Children from Dales primary schools are learning how to become Champions for Health as part of a nationwide programme that was launched at a conference for Derbyshire primary schools organised by the Rural Derbyshire School Sport Partnership last week with the Youth Sport Trust.  

Change 4 Life Primary School Champions, credit Youth Sport Trust

18 primary schools from across the whole of Derbyshire (including Castle View Primary in Matlock; Bakewell Methodist Junior School; South Darley Primary School and Osmaston CE Primary School) took part in the conference held at Arc Leisure in Matlock.  The scheme is part of a Change4Life pilot programme, run by the Youth Sport Trust.

Workshop with Highfields Young Leader, Mimi Evans, credit Youth Sport Trust

Ahead of the opening ceremony, Derbyshire County Councillors, including Cllr Kevin Gillott, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People (Clay Cross South), and Directors of Derbyshire Sport, Hayley Lever and Ilana Freeston, enjoyed fruit smoothies from Sainsburys and heard ideas on healthy living from Derbyshire Community Health Service. Continue reading →