Our Purpose, Vision and Aims
Purpose
The work of WYSP needs to be within a national, regional and local context. With all the recent changes there are several challenges that need to be faced:
• Ensuring that resources employed through the WYSP add value to the current structure and work taking place
• Ensuring the work meets the needs of the partners
• Ensuring that the policies set out at national and regional level meets local needs.
In this revised strategy, we need to take account of the developments of 2005, in particular the broadening of the Partnership’s role:
• Whilst we will retain a focus on young people, there will be greater opportunity to work towards adding value to increasing adult participation in sport and active recreation by 1% per year in West Yorkshire
• The previous work has concentrated on developing pathways for young people in specific sports. Whilst this remains an important area of work there will be a broadening of work to encompass more active recreation type activities (e.g. walking)
• An increasing and more prominent role of performance measurement and strategic planning. This will necessitate the Partnership to take an increased leadership role for sport and active recreation in West Yorkshire
• A closer link of the sport development work with wider social agendas.
The core purpose of WYSP needs to meet the needs of all potential partners. In this regard, it is a broad statement:
“To enhance individuals’ lives through increased quality participation, opportunities and improvements in sport”
In order to achieve this, the vision for the WYSP is to create:
“A network of quality partnerships with key agencies committed to providing a single system for all people to benefit from sport and active recreation in West Yorkshire.”
The government and the Regional Sports Board are clear that their overriding priority is to increase participation by adults (over the age of 16) in sport and active recreation three times a week for 30 minutes by 1% per year.
The aims and actions outlined in this strategy will all be directed to achieve this outcome.
The Yorkshire Participation survey (2005) showed that the participation rate in West Yorkshire is 36%.
The other government Public Service Agreement relating to sport sets the target of “75% of young people accessing two hours of high-quality PE and sport within and beyond the curriculum”.
AIMS
Whilst the responsibility for reaching this target rests with the School Sports Partnership, it will not be reached without local partners working together within the WYSP system.
For the work over the next three years, there are five major aims:
1. To create accessible pathways into and through sport and active recreation for all people within West Yorkshire.
This is the priority aim for the Partnership over the next three years. It will entail the mapping out of specific sport structures and putting in place the necessary steps for the “playground to podium” route for individuals.
In addition, there is the need to provide opportunities to participate in sport and active recreation simply for the fun of it.
To succeed with this aim we will need people with the right knowledge in the right place (workforce development) and high-quality facilities that are accessible.
2. To develop and influence an integrated sports structure that will provide a mechanism for a single system for sport in West Yorkshire
It is crucial that an effective and efficient structure for sport is in place within West Yorkshire. In particular, ensuring the organisations and individuals within local authorities, education sector (including schools, colleges and universities) and sports governing bodies are working in a co-ordinated way and that regional,sub-regional and local systems are streamlined.
The structures will continually evolve but the key will be to ensure that the multi-agency WYSP provides an overview of the work.
Local delivery will depend upon effective local partnerships. One of the actions over the next three years will be for each district to have a “Community Sports Network” which will have a key strategic and delivery role for sport and active recreation. At a more local level, Partnership working will be promoted between local clubs, schools, Sports Development Officers, leisure facilities and others to ensure that the individual’s experience of sport is a smooth and easy one.
3. To raise the profile and highlight the contribution of sport amongst the widest possible associated networks at a sub-regional level
The WYSP offers the only mechanism that can represent sport at a sub-regional level.
It will be used therefore as advocate of sport with, for example:
• the sub-regional economic investment process
• West Yorkshire Culture
• West Yorkshire Police
• West Yorkshire Connexions
• West Yorkshire Learning and Skills Councils.
4. To carry out joint working practices that will benefit and add value to sport in West Yorkshire
The West Yorkshire Sports Partnership does offer the opportunity to carry out joint working on a wide range of issues. Much of this is difficult to specify in a strategy document but nevertheless is an important area of work that the WYSP adds value to.
For example, over the past two years, discussion and work has taken place around:
• facility planning
• playing pitch strategies
• new opportunities funding
• PFI/Building Schools for the Future
• performance measurement systems.
5 To systematically measure performance of sport and active recreation in West Yorkshire
The WYSP will sit at the heart of sport and active recreation in West Yorkshire. As such, it will be in the position to collate, interpret and disseminate performance information collected by key partners, such as local authorities, national governing bodies, universities and others.
This key information will lead to more rational planning and delivery of services across the West Yorkshire.
Underpinning Principles
The work of WYSP will be underpinned by the following principles that all partners will be expected to adhere to:
• Sport is FUN
• Commitment to equity and equality of opportunity
• Safety and welfare of participants is paramount
• Groups and partnerships can retain their own independence whilst remaining part of the network
• The Partnership is open to all organisations in West Yorkshire committed to its aims
• Delivery will be through the most effective and efficient means
• Communication will be open and honest
• Systematic measurement of the impact of work in a bid to continually improve
• An athlete-/participant-centred approach.