It's official - more children are now more active - thanks to Ipswich Borough Council and Team Ipswich, who want to employ a team of community sports coaches and encourage more youngsters to play sport. Already in place are basketball, cricket, cycling and rackets coaches and they are set to be joined by movement and dance coaches.
Early indications suggest that the coaches are already having a big impact. In just nine months, part-time Community Cricket Coach Peter Bennett-King has provided coaching to almost 1,000 children in 30 schools. In just 15 months, Community Basketball Coach Nick Drane has undertaken more than 1,200 hours of coaching to 2,000 young people.
Much of the work of the Team Ipswich community coaches do enforces life-skills, socialising, confidence building, team work and health and fitness awareness. People involved in an active pastime are less likely to become involved in anti-social activities.
The community sports coaches project would not have been possible without Copleston Sports College, Westbourne High School, Holywells High School and Positive Futures.