Press Releases
County Sports Partnership up and running
Date: 02 May 2006
A former Olympic athlete has been chosen as the person to lead the strategic development of sport across the whole of Essex.
Angela Littlewood, who has represented her country in the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, has taken up her position as the Director of the newly established Essex, Southend and Thurrock Sports Partnership.
Part of a national network of County Sports Partnerships, the Essex partnership will take the lead in ensuring that Essex plays its part in delivering an active and successful sporting nation. This will focus on three key areas: pathways for young people, club development and the development of volunteers and professionals involved in sport.
Essex has a long and proud sporting history and has produced some top sportsmen and women. These include, Sally Gunnell, Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth Champion and Geoff Hurst, the scorer of a hat trick in the 1966 World Cup Final. One thing in common with all them is that their interest in sport started in their local communities. The establishment of the Essex, Southend and Thurrock Sports Partnership will lay the foundations for the next generation of Essex sporting heroes.
Angela Littlewood is clearly excited about the challenge ahead. “Essex has an undoubted sporting pedigree with an unparalleled sports infrastructure supporting a superb range of sporting and physical activity. I am looking forward to working with everybody engaged in sport and physical activity in the County to increase opportunities and ensure that Essex people continue to enjoy all the benefits that sport and physical activity can bring. I am particularly excited about the Olympic Games coming to Essex and taking advantage of this for the people of Essex in both the run up to the Games and in establishing a legacy. ”
ENDS
Editor’s Notes
1. Accompanying images. The two images accompanying the press release are:
a) Angela Littlewood, Director Essex, Southend and Thurrock Sports Partnership
b) Angela Littlewood, Director Essex, Southend and Thurrock Sports Partnership and Mark Aldous, Manager – Governing Bodies of Sport, pictured at the newly named Chelmsford Sports and Athletics Centre.
1. The Essex, Southend and Thurrock Sports Partnership is part of a national network of County Sports Partnerships lead and funded by Sport England. In the East of England the following County Sports Partnerships exist: Bedfordshire and Luton Active Sports Partnership, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Sports Partnership, Hertfordshire Sports Partnership, Suffolk Sport and Norfolk Sports Allinace.
2. A County Sports Partnership is a partnership of agencies committed to providing a high quality single system for people to benefit from sport.
A CSP has the following characteristics:
• It maintains a focus on children and young people (Physical Literacy, Long Term Athlete Development and child welfare)
• It is underpinned by a commitment to equity
• It seeks to ensure that sports development is driven through National Governing Body plans
• Action is based on local need - influencing the understanding, interpretation and deployment of national, regional and local policy
• It is focused on investing in, and valuing people
• It is committed to achieving quality standards through continuous improvement and excellence in order to demonstrate impact
• It is fundamentally independent so that the core partnership team is impartial in order to broker progress
3. The Essex, Southend and Thurrock County Sports Partnership is being hosted by the Essex Development & Regeneration Agency (ExDRA) which was established in 2004 from the former Enterprise and Regeneration Division of Essex County Council and the Essex Economic Partnership (one of nine sub regional economic partnerships). ExDRA leads on a number of economic, community, international and cultural development initiatives across Essex.
For more information please contact:
Angela Littlewood
Director Essex, Southend and Thurrock Sports Partnership
Tel: 01245 702450
Email: angela.littlewood@exdra.co.uk
Stuart Graham
Media and PR Manager
Essex Development & Regeneration Agency
Tel: 01245 702415
Email: stuart.graham@exdra.co.uk
