SLQ Sports Leaders Activity Volunteer Programme was launched in February 2021 and supported by 14 founding Active Partnerships. The programme is now having a positive impact across a diverse range of young people through supporting a range of delivery programmes and initiatives.
The programme has been created to encourage young people age 13 years and over to take their first steps into activity volunteering. With both virtual and face to face learning options included it has proven to be a flexible learning solution that is helping with ongoing challenges faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The programme is helping support the Active Partnerships with their objectives identified through their DfE employability funding and their School Games networks with a view to providing a supported and recognised learning opportunity for young people.
Delivery has already taken place across a wider range of places to meet local needs, this includes; Prisons, Football Clubs, Online Young Leaders programmes, Summer Covid Catch up programmes, Holiday Activity and Food Programmes, Youth Programmes, NCS programmes, young people at risk from exclusion.
Learners can access pre-recorded videos delivered by an experienced tutor or face to face practical sessions delivered by the Active Partnership as part of their ongoing engagement work. At the heart of the programme is the SLQ Skills Framework which identifies the five key skills that research has shown that employers look for. Through embedding the Skills Framework in a fun and practical way Active Partnerships can be confident that their learners are being supported to develop essential transferable skills for life and future employment or deployment opportunities.
Just four months since the launch the 14 Active Partnerships came together to share updates and best practice on delivery so far. The Partnerships are using the accredited learning programme in slightly different ways which highlights the flexibility of the learning.
Rebecca Skinner, Active Devon commented
The flexible approach to delivery has enabled us to offer this award in an secondary schools and beyond. Our community partners have been particularly receptive and are keen to deliver in a range of settings.
Our first course is being run by Lifeworks in Torbay. Lifeworks is a charity that supports children, young people and adults with learning disabilities to live great lives. With in-house staff being able to deliver the award, it has enabled them to deliver the course at a pace to suit the needs of their learners.
We’re looking forward to seeing delivery expand over the coming months.
Louise Arnold, Kent Sport, said
As an Active Partnership we were keen to use this award in the community. We feel the remote option enables young people to complete the award on a one to one basis, when they might not usually be able to access a group training opportunity. In April we tested it with a charity who have support workers helping vulnerable young people. One support worker said “Our first candidate was really inspired and very keen to get volunteering… I think the timing is perfect too for these young people as they are getting so much negative stuff about being behind”.
Through the summer we will be continuing to test both the remote and face to face delivery with local clubs and as part of the Holiday Activity Fund in our priority areas before rolling it out to more schools and other community organisations in the Autumn.
Nicola White, Head of Innovation at SLQ Sports Leaders said
It is really pleasing to hear that lot of young people are benefitting from this accredited learning programme already. The breadth of delivery taking place so far has exceeded our expectations. We are excited to see the further impact over the coming months.
We will look to share more news on this exciting programme and some case studies from across the network as and when the programme is embedded further. If you are interested in finding out more please contact Nicola White, nwhite@sportsleaders.org.
The Active Partnerships involved in the programme are:
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