UK Sport

ANNUAL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS GROWING IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL INSPIRATION

International Inspiration Press Release 24 June 2009

Annual Report for 2008-09 published
Over 1.25 million children and young people reached to date
Three new countries join programme
Positive impact also recorded in UK

The London 2012 International Inspiration programme publishes its Annual Report for 2008-09 today, charting the extensive impact achieved across the five countries in the first phase of the programme, as well as the next steps which include work beginning in three previously unannounced countries: Malaysia, Nigeria and South Africa.

In addition to the phase one countries - Azerbaijan, Brazil, India, Palau and Zambia - the report also highlights the progress made in the phase two countries announced in November of Bangladesh, Jordan and Mozambique, and activities due to begin in Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago. The report also outlines plans for activities in the three new countries announced today, and evidences how the UK has benefited so far through the programme.

International Inspiration uses the power of sport to transform the lives of millions of children and young people around the world. A first from the Olympic and Paralympic movements for children and young people, the programme has received the formal support of the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee as a core strand of the London 2012 International Education Programme.

Over one and a quarter million children and young people now have more opportunities to take part in high quality, inclusive PE, sport and play through International Inspiration. The programme has achieved a significant amount of positive action and change over the past year, including:

The development of two major national strategies for sport for young people in Azerbaijan - the Strategy Plan for Athletics Development (2009-12), and the long-term National Strategy on Physical Education and Sport Development (2009-20)
Giving over 400,000 children and young people in Brazil the opportunity to take part in sport by establishing consistent methods of delivering PE in schools and communities across the country.
The use of International Inspiration programme models by the Indian Government as the basis for a nationwide community sport programme for children and young people
The implementation of the first ever primary age after-school sports competitions in Palau
Regular sporting activities run by all trained community coaches and peer leaders in Zambia reaching out to more than 45,000 children in 76 child-friendly schools across eight communities
Linking 51 schools in the UK with 51 schools across the International Inspiration countries including visits by programme participants to the UK to exchange knowledge and share experience on how to deliver effective PE and school sport.

Tessa Jowell, Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “In the last 12 months International Inspiration has had a tremendous impact on the lives of millions of children and young people in communities across the world. In Brazil I met young people whose expectations and ambitions for the future have been transformed by the opportunity to play sport and learn new, life-changing skills.

“We now have firm foundations for the expansion of the programme to meet our ambition of reaching more than 12 million children and young people in 20 countries ahead of 2012 and the creation of a truly international legacy for London 2012 that we hope will live on through future host cities.”

Sir Keith Mills, Deputy Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games said: “It is with immense pride that I have watched our bid ambitions to help children and young people around the world to participate in sport truly become a reality for over a million children. Recognised and welcomed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC), International Inspiration sees for the first time an Olympic host city working with partners to deliver a project of this scale and ambition.”

“All this has been accomplished with the professionalism of the UK delivery partners, UK Sport, British Council and UNICEF, working with the Youth Sport Trust and local partners in-country, including the National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees where relevant, and I look forward to more exciting progress in the coming year.”

The Annual Report can be viewed on the London 2012 website at www.london2012.com/internationalinspiration

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