A brand new Athletics Doorstep Sport Club will be launched next Tuesday 30 October 4-6pm in Newham as part of a Street Games trailblazer. The club will be the first athletics club of its kind to be youth led with a multisport approach linking with Judo, Swimming, Triathlon, Cycling and Basketball. The club is being coordinated by our Newham Run! Activator Coral Nourrice and headed up by a team of young leaders who completed their 14+ ‘Athletics Leader’ course last weekend. The young leaders will be responsible for moulding the club into shape and making key decisions on marketing, timetabling, membership and competitions.

England Athletics National Governing Body is a key partner for Street Games Doorstep Sport Clubs, providing support, advice and guidance. The parallels between athletics and the aims of Street Games are strong, both prioritising local provision on your doorstep and easy to deliver basic activities. As part of Sport England’s Youth and Community Strategy, Street Games are creating up to 1000 Doorstep Sport Clubs. Doorstep Sport Clubs are new multi-sport clubs specifically targeted at disadvantaged communities. Run! project Manager Rhian Horlock said; ‘ I am pleased that the Run! project is helping to shape the Street Games Doorstep Club pilot. This testing period is very important, as it seeks to confirm to Sport England that chosen products or methods can have a positive impact on increasing participation. A successful testing period will hopefully lead to the mainstreaming of the programme across England Athletics for a four-year period starting in April 2013 and build on our ongoing partnership with Street Games.’ A guide has been developed by England Athletics and Street Games on how to set up a Doorstep Club.

Doorstep clubs provide participation in disadvantaged areas for 14-25 year olds at the right time, at the right price and in the right style. It is usually laid on by local organisations for local people at a venue within their neighbourhood. Doorstep Sport and Athletics is about fun, it does not require high levels of skill and talent and commitment. It is often played with a group of friends. It can also be competitive. The athletics Doorstep Clubs will focus on athlefit, 365 and testing ‘youth run’ branding. The pilot period for Doorstep Clubs trailblazers will be from October to January, the funding is only secure for the first 6 months of the project whilst they test the concept of Doorstep Sports Clubs. The athletics Doorstep Sport clubs are also being piloted in Wigan and Bristol.

For further information please visit http://www.streetgames.org/www/dsc/content/doorstep-sport-clubs