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Premier League clubs are
to open their doors to thousands of young people and offer them
the chance to get involved in Olympic sports in a groundbreaking
£3.8 million partnership with the Government.
The Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Sport Secretary Andy Burnham
and Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore announced
the move at a launch today at Tottenham Hotspur’s training ground
in Chigwell, Essex.
They were joined by Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp and
Spurs players Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate, Luca Modric, and
Michael Dawson.
All 20 clubs in football’s
top flight will host multi-sport clubs in the community that will
reach young people in the local area and offer them opportunities
in badminton, judo, table tennis and volleyball.
Working with the sports
governing bodies, the Youth Sport Trust and Sport England the
Premier League clubs aim to help get 30,000 young people, aged
between 11 and 16, into the four Olympic sports over the three
year scheme.
The initiative, called
‘Premier League 4 Sports,’ will help address the drop off in sport
participation when young people leave secondary school and help
the Government’s ambition to offer young people five hours of
sport a week, as part of its Olympic Legacy plan.
Each Premier League
club will be affiliated to four sports clubs, including one judo
club, in their local area which will work in partnership with
the football club and benefit from the strength of the brand.
The 80 clubs will then
be linked to four secondary schools in the area creating a total
of 320 satellite clubs. Each Premier League Club will appoint
a Project Co-ordinator that will manage the scheme.
Premier League 4 Sports
will build on the success of the Premier League’s current community
programme and aims to get children from harder to reach groups
to get involved in non-traditional, club-based sport.
Scott McCarthy, Chief
Executive, British Judo Association said, “British Judo is delighted
to be involved in this programme. The Premier League is a fantastic
brand to be associated with, and this partnership will assist
us in attracting and delivering judo to many more young people
across the country.
“The children participating
in this programme will gain a wide range of skills from judo as
well as improve their fitness, confidence, self esteem and respect
for others. They will also develop invaluable cross sport
skills such as balance and how to fall safely”.
He continued “British
Judo is extremely excited by this opportunity and look forward
to seeing it develop over the next three years”.
Daniel Griffin, British
Judo’s Premier League Manager said, “British Judo’s involvement
in this programme will open the door for thousands of young people
to try our sport, and will give judo clubs throughout the country
the opportunity to progress their current membership base.
“Being in partnership
with a brand such as the Premier League is a fantastic opportunity
for us to increase participation levels within our sport”
Andy Burnham MP, Secretary
of State for Culture, Media & Sport said “We want to
encourage young people to take part in more sport outside of school
time and this partnership with the Premier League can help us
do exactly that. Premier League clubs already do some fantastic
work in their community and their expertise on this front and
the pulling power of their names will now boost badminton, judo,
volleyball and table tennis.”
Back
row left to right: Current -90kg British Champion Jonathon Purssey,
Tottenham Hotspur Manager Harry Redknapp, Tottenham Hotspur player
Michael Dawson, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Andy Burnham MP,
Richard
Scudamore of the Premier League, current -73kg British Champion
Alex Farbon, BJA Vice Chairman Brian Davies JP
Tottenham
star Michael Dawson has fun with hold downs during the launch
Jonathon
Purrsey and Alex Farbon did a demonatration and took a session
for local school children
Jonathon
Purrsey with local school children at today's launch
©
Tottenham Hotspur
Notes to Editors
For further information:
Dan Griffin
British Judo’s Premier
League Manager
(t) 07817 995093
(e) danielgriffin@britishjudo.org.uk
Press Contact
James Sills
(t) 07967957873
(e) jamessills@britishjudo.org.uk
- The £3.835 million
for Premier League 4 Sports is being invested through the Department
for Culture, Media and Sport from the Premier League’s Good Causes
fund.
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