Our Work & Partners

A brief overview of The Community Sports Team’s work during 2010-11

Over the last year the Community sports Team have delivered some fantastic activities and acquired even more contacts and partners to boost delivery in the local area. Some of the team’s work with elderly and disabled users is considered to be pioneering in the leisure trust sector and has achieved national recognition.  

Schools

Through the South Lakes Schools Partnership, the team has been active in the 43 primary and secondary schools and 9 secondary schools in the district. Activities include lunchtime and after school sports clubs, taster sessions in tennis and watersports, exercise and gym sessions. From September 2010 the team was requested to deliver an additional 500 hours for the School Sports Partnership taking the total delivered to more than 800 hours in the academic year 2010/11 and the success of the scheme is measured by the fact that there were more than 15,000 participants in the sessions delivered by lakes leisure during this period more than double the previous academic year.

Inclusion

Thanks to investment made to improve facilities for disabled users at Kendal, lakes leisure has been able to secure funding through the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) for "Swim Links” which is a program to build a pathway from learner to competitor for disabled swimmers. We have already run two ten week courses which have proved very popular. lakes leisure Ulverston operates 2 disabled swim sessions per week and a member of the Community Sports Team is present to pass on swimming advice during the Saturday session most weeks.

lakes leisure Ulverston secured funding in 2008 to set up a weekly disabled sports club for children age 5 – 15yr. Although the funding has ended the CADS club (children able and disabled sports) continues to run every Sunday. lakes leisure Ulverston runs an annual CADS Sports Festival at the end of August providing 3 days of sporty fun covering 12 different sports where able and disabled children can play together in a fully inclusive environment.

The elderly

lakes leisure have a successful partnership with Age UK which has seen a number of activities provided for the elderly both on site and in the rural community. Classes such as circuits, seated volleyball, boccia and curling have been introduced in village halls in Sedbergh, Holme, Ings, Endmoor, Staveley, Storth, Ulverston, Kirkby-in-Furness, Swarthmoor. We are also in discussion with Age UK to fund a swim session with an instructor in the water to provide support and advice to older swimmers and build confidence in the water.

Health & well being

Kendal and Ulverston run seven "Healthy Hearts” classes between them per week attracting 15 users per session in conjunction with Cartmel Adult Education and Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust. Due to the closure of the cardiac unit at Westmorland General Hospital, an additional evening class has been introduced at Kendal from June 2011 which attracts up to 25 attendees.

The "Healthy Hearts” scheme was broadened to incorporate special COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) sessions at Ulverston. From January 2010, weekly COPD sessions have also been held at Kendal. Annual participation in the programme has now reached nearly 2,000.

If you would like to learn more about the team please contact:

Caroline Smith – lakes leisure Ulverston Community Sports Team Leader

Luke Tarr – lakes leisure Ulverston Community Sports Team Coach

Call 01229 584110 or email c.smith@lakesleisure.org.uk/ l.tarr@lakesleisure.org.uk

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