A programme designed to help get more young people to train as sports coaches has received nearly £1m of National Lottery funding from Sport England.
The £995,500 grant will allow the Royal Foundation to double the reach of its Coach Core programme by adding 10 new sites in England over the next three years.
Driven by a desire to build upon the legacy of the Olympic Games, Coach Core was created by The Royal Foundation – and launched by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry – in 2012 to inspire 16 to 24 year-olds who are not in education or employment through sport, and to create the next generation of sports coaches.
Coach Core has already trained more than 300 young people through an apprenticeship scheme with some of the biggest sports clubs in the country, providing tuition while also paying them a wage.
The Sport England funding will enable another 200 young people to join Coach Core’s apprentice scheme, doubling the number of Coach Core sites and linking young apprentices up with opportunities in professional sports club foundations, youth clubs, charities and academy trusts.
The first new Coach Core sites to open will be in Newcastle and The Black Country, followed by eight more locations which Coach Core and Sport England will shortlist based on areas and the communities with the greatest need.
“I'm delighted to announce just under £1m of National Lottery funding for Coach Core, and I’m very impressed by what they have achieved so far," said Sport England CEO, Jennie Price.
"Coach Core doesn’t only change the lives of the young people they work with, they help others get active too.
"If your coach is someone you can relate to, you’re much more likely to feel comfortable.
"Plenty of people walk away from sport and activity opportunities because they feel they just don’t belong. Coach Core graduates send an important message: if I can do this, maybe you can too.”
Gary Laybourne, head of programmes for Coach Core, added: "This funding from Sport England is a pivotal moment for Coach Core.
"It will double the impact of our programme and help more young people than ever to harness the power of sport. It not only means that hundreds of young people from challenging, diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds will get the chance to take on exciting opportunities in the world of sport, but also that they can go on to inspire their communities for many more generations to come."
