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Sports coaches paramount to increasing participation Directors needed to join board ; Andy Herbert, Senior Sports Development Manager of Active... [Gloucestershire Echo (England)](Gloucestershire Echo (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sports coaches paramount to increasing participation Directors needed to join board ; Andy Herbert, Senior Sports Development Manager of Active Gloucestershire launches local coaching bursary scheme [Edition 3] Research undertaken by Sports Coach UK indicates that there are more than one million adults providing coaching to an estimated five million sports participants per week. Coaches are therefore vital for sport and good quality coaching at the right place, at the right time is crucial in efforts to increase and sustain participation. Quality coaches also play a paramount role in achieving success and enhancing the health and quality of life for individuals of all ages, communities and the nation. Therefore, for Active Gloucestershire to have any chance of achieving our mission of "more people, more active and more often", then growing, supporting and improving the local coaching workforce in Gloucestershire must be a high priority. We believe that after the participant or performer the coach is the most important person in sport. From the school playground to the Olympic arena, it is the coaches that make sport happen and this is why Active Gloucestershire are pleased to announce the launch of the second year of our Coaching Bursary scheme. Available now, the scheme will support an increase in the number of qualified coaches within the county as well as supporting those wishing to further their current qualification. In 2013 Active Gloucestershire's Coaching Bursary supported 63 coaches from 17 different sports. One sport that benefited from the scheme during this period was athletics, which saw more than 300 new participants join local running groups across the county. Kerry Newell, England Athletics Running Co-ordinator for Gloucestershire, was the driving force behind this increase in participation. Through accessing Active Gloucestershire's Coaching Bursary she was able to qualify local run leaders to set up new running groups in Winchcombe, Gloucester and Newent, as well as delivering a local training day to support those groups that were already established. Speaking of the increase in running participation in Gloucestershire, Kerry said: "The most important thing is to find the right person to lead the group, as it will be this person's responsibility to enthuse the runners as well as providing sound advice to help them improve." Kerry also added that the Active Gloucestershire Coaching Bursary "has ensured that leaders from new and established running groups are suitably qualified to meet the needs of their participants and this is the main reason why the sport has grown in the county." Looking forward to the year ahead, Kerry is planning to apply for additional coaching bursaries to set up a new running group in Hatherley, Cheltenham and an additional group at Gloucester Athletics Club for blind runners. For information on how to apply for a coaching bursary from Active Gloucestershire, contact [email protected] or, should you be interested in joining a local running group, contact [email protected]. Active Gloucestershire's mission is to use sport and physical activity to "get more people to be more active, more often". We are a company limited by guarantee with charitable status and are becoming the "go to" organisation for people and organisations involved in developing sport and physical activity in Gloucestershire. We have ambitious plans to work across all ages, abilities and communities and these are based on our successful record of working with local organisations to deliver national and local programmes and projects in the county. We are now looking to recruit up to four new directors to join the existing board. In addition to being able to fulfil the duties of a director, a strong belief in the benefits of regular participation in sport and physical activity and knowledge of and good networks in Gloucestershire will be a given. Directors serve in a voluntary and unremunerated capacity, although appropriate travel expenses will be paid. Ideally we are looking for individuals with current and significant experience in one or more of the following fields but expressions of interest from individuals with other skills and experiences to offer will also be considered: ? Financial management and Accounting ? Law ? Marketing and sponsorship ? Public relations and communications Please contact our Chief Executive Officer at [email protected] to obtain an information pack. The closing date for receipt of any expressions of interest is May 30, 2014. Active Gloucestershire Ltd is a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales with charitable status. Active Gloucestershire, 8a Ullenwood Court, Ullenwood, Gloucestershire, GL53 9QS. www.activegloucestershire.org Company Number: 734452 Charity Number: 1138546 (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |