Schools get a lasting legacy (From Oxford Mail)

Schools get a lasting legacy

1:00pm Tuesday 17th January 2012 in News By Sam McGregor

Pupils across North Oxfordshire are set to benefit from an extra £24m which will be pumped into school sports as part of the London Olympic legacy.

The move will guarantee the North Oxfordshire Schools Sports Partnership will run until 2015.

The partnership, which encompasses schools in Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington, faced closure after the Government announced it planned to scrap £162m national funding.

But the initiative, which was set up to pool resources between primary, secondary and specialist state schools to increase sporting opportunities, was given a two-year reprieve after funding was found to allow it to run until 2013.

Now cash injections of £10m from supermarket Sainsbury’s, £14m by the Department of Health and £8m from Sport England will extend funding for school sports organisers up to 2015.

Sainsbury’s cash will be used to support a new School Games Competition over the next four years, while the rest of the money will fund the school games organisers.

North Oxfordshire partnership manager Carl Hamilton said: “The ann- ouncement is great news for us in North Oxfordshire where even in the darkest days of last year’s comprehensive spend- ing review cuts, we refused to accept that the fantastic transformation in local PE and school sport would come to an end.

“With the tremendous support of our schools and key local partners we have continued to provide challenging and exciting opportunities for all our youngsters, aimed at inspiring more of them to take part in healthier and active lifestyles.

“This additional funding, which extends our programme until at least 2015, will allow us to impact on thousands more local young people, making physical activity part of their everyday lives.”

The North Oxfordshire School Sport Partnership oversees 18,500 children in 56 schools, and runs teacher training, sports activities and competitions for youngsters aged five to 19.

Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt said: “We are absolutely determined to leave a real and lasting legacy for young people from London’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the Sainsbury’s School Games will help do just that.”