Conservative Councillors Run for Sport Relief

Today a team of Conservative Councillors joined thousands of other runners for Southampton's Sport Relief run, round the city centre.

Free Swimming for Under 16s

With Cllr John Hannides at the Quays

Last week Southampton City Council announced that it was pushing ahead with a two year scheme for free under 16s swimming. A deal was struck with local schools (including our two new city academies) and the Primary Care Trust to find the extra money needed to meet the shortfall in government funding for the scheme. Funds from the government will meet less than a third of the cost, meaning that locally we have to pick the rest of the bill.

I am delighted that working with other partners in city we have managed deliver the scheme. Sport is high on the agenda with the Olympics fast approaching. Locally we are doing all we can to meet the challenge. The under 16s scheme comes on top of a similar scheme announced last year for over 60s and our schools sports partnership with Southampton Solent University which is already proving a tremendous success.

After School Sports Launch

Southampton's new after school sports programme was officially launched today at Upper Shirley High School on Friday.

This unique scheme is a partnership between Southampton schools, Southampton Solent University (SSU) and Southampton City Council.
5 schools are taking part in the pilot programme which will see SSU sports undergraduates running after school sports for local children.

Tailored sports programmes are now up and running in Redbridge Secondary School, Upper Shirley High, Highfield Primary School, St Marks CofE Junior School and Bevois Town Primary School. 9 more schools are ready to join the scheme in a second wave next year.

It is hoped that the scheme will then be rolled out across Southampton. This could see over 1000 university students volunteering to help in the city.

On Friday I met with SSU students and lecturers and pupils at Upper Shirley High and spoke with headteacher Cassie Ellins and her staff about the new scheme. At Upper Shirley High pupils will be taking up basketball, cricket and football classes. This scheme will be school led and tailored to meet the needs of pupils.

I believe that this scheme is going to be tremendous. It is fantastic timing – the start of a new term, off the back of the Beijing Olympics and preparing for 2012 in London.

We are lucky for to be teaming up with the premier sporting institution in the south. The scheme is not just about sport. Its about health, fitness, team work, it gives children plenty to do, and will help university students with their development. I am also confident that it will be a catalyst to boost sports clubs in the city.

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Future Plans for BTC

Last week I met with members of the BTC football club at Stoneham to listen to their plans for the future. The club has its roots in the British Transport Corporation and has been based at Stoneham for decades. The club are keen to expand and improve their facilities, with improved football pitches, bowling and tennis and a new car park.

The club was recently granted a 25 year lease on their site by the new Conservative Southampton City Council Administration, allowing them to plan for their long term future. I am hopeful that they can secure the funds that they need to revamp the club and they have my full support.

Sport Relief

I enjoyed a much needed break from local election campaigning this afternoon.

Along with other Conservative Councillors and local council candidates I joined thousands of other runners to do the Sport Relief race in the city centre.

More sport is one of key policies Conservatives in Southampton are pushing.

On Wednesday I am leading a debate in Full Council on Conservative plans for a scheme to dramatically increase the amount of sport provision for children locally.

A few weeks ago Labour and Lib Dem councillors rejected the scheme but I am hopeful that on Wednesday they will have a change of heart, back the policy and back my motion to council. Last week a cross party panel of councillors, who have been carrying out a study into youth services in the city, gave their wholehearted support to the scheme.

Motion to council on Sport

This Council notes that the Government wishes to see a fully functional Extended Schools programmes in place by 2010, where all children are to be offered activities or child care provision from 8am in the morning till 6pm in the evening in the form of a wrap around scheme to the school timetable.

This Council notes that Southampton Solent University (SSU) has 1,500 students on various sports courses ranging from foundation Sports Studies to specialist Sports Science Degrees and that it has the largest resource of qualified coaches in Southampton.

This Council welcomes the proposal from SSU to create an Extended Schools programme within Southampton and agrees to commit £50,000 to pilot this programme in 08/09.

This Council welcomes the opportunity to work with SSU and benefits that the programme will bring; namely, encouraging a healthier lifestyle amongst the children of the city and combating obesity, providing positive activities and reducing antisocial behaviour, encouraging sports club links and providing valuable work experience to SSU students.

Pioneering Scheme to Boost Sport in the City

Yesterday local Conservatives announced plans for a pioneering scheme to dramatically increase the amount of sport provision for children in Southampton. The Conservative led council is looking to work in partnership with Southampton Solent University to provide 5,000 hours of after school sports training each year.

Initially a pilot scheme will be run with sports studies undergraduates from Southampton Solent coaching children at a number of schools in the city. If the scheme proves popular then it will be extended to all interested schools and it is hoped that the scheme could double to 10,000 hours a year. This is a fantastic scheme which will help tackle childhood obesity as well as anti social behaviour.

The proposal forms part of the Conservative budget proposals for the city due to be voted on by all political parties on 20th February. The proposals from local Conservatives come on the back of a report this week from David Cameron about how we can improve the development of young people in Britain and increase accessibility to sports and other activities within and outside school.