School receives over £7,000 in sports facilities funding boost
A school has received a funding boost of more than £7,000 to open its facilities for the community.
Communities in Wyre Forest and surrounding areas will soon benefit from more opportunities to be physically active when The Bewdley School opens its doors outside of the normal school day for new sport and physical activities.
A share of £828,000 worth of Opening School Facilities funding from the Department for Education has been invested to support schools across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire has been working with local organisations to identify communities and individuals that would most benefit from increased access to facilities and increased physical activity.
The Bewdley School will use the funding to provide table tennis equipment and sessions for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) students, as well as equipment for football to be delivered to girls.
Peter Phillips, assistant headteacher at The Bewdley School, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this funding to enable us to deliver improved opportunities for less active girls and SEND students.
"Working with Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire, we identified a need for increasing provision for girls’ football in Bewdley and opportunities for inclusive sport and are now putting this into practice.
"Providing a coach and club for girls to develop their football skills, be physically active and develop friendships supports our aim to engage more girls in sport and be physical activity outside of school hours.
"It is hoped that some of them may go on to join girls’ football teams in the wider community following this experience, which will also boost participation in local clubs.
"Acknowledging that some students prefer participating in quieter activities in smaller groups, the outdoor table tennis tables will provide students with the opportunity to enjoy being physically active and develop their friendships in this inclusive activity and receive support to do this successfully.
"Community groups who hire our facilities in the evenings will have access to equipment so that parents and siblings waiting on site during these activities can enjoy a game and be physically active."
Stephen Brewster, chief executive officer at Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire, said: “We are delighted to distribute Opening School Facilities funding to so many local schools.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for schools to develop sustainable physical activity opportunities, and improve the accessibility of opportunities for their local communities.
“At a time when over half (54 per cent) of children and young people in Wyre Forest are not meeting the government guidelines for physical activity, it is vital that we work with schools to address the stubborn inequalities that remain, to support our young people, their families, and their communities to gain positive experiences and reap the benefits that physical activity can bring.”
