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£100m CAMPAIGN, ANNUAL NATIONAL SCHOOL SPORTS WEEK ANNOUNCED
A £100m campaign to give every child the chance of five hours of sport every week was announced by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown today.
He called for a 'united team effort' in the run up to 2012 to make sport a part of every child's day. Building a greater sporting nation and a fitter nation. Involving schools, parents, volunteers, coaches and the sports world to offer the equivalent of an hour of sport to every child, every day of the school week. The plans include greater emphasis on competition within and between schools, a network of competition managers and a new National School Sports Week.
The new funding will provide:
* up to five hours of sport per week for all pupils and three hours for young people aged 16-19;
* a new National School Sport Week, championed by Dame Kelly Holmes where all schools will be encouraged to run sports days and inter-school tournaments. This will build on the success of the UK School Games and its impact on motivating young people to take part in competitive sport;
* a network of 225 competition managers across the country to work with primary and secondary schools to increase the amount of competitive sport they offer;
* more coaches in schools and the community to deliver expert sporting advice to young people.
The Government will also challenge the sporting bodies to develop modern school sport competitions leading to local, regional and national finals.
The new funding builds on the £633 million already committed to creating a world-class school sport and PE system over the next three years.
The Prime Minister said:
"We need to put school sport back where it belongs, playing a central role in the school day. I was lucky enough to have primary and secondary schools that had sport at the centre of their ethos. I want every child to have that opportunity to take part.
"Watching sport is a national pastime. Talking about sport is a national obsession. But now we need to make taking part in sport a national characteristic.
"Whatever their natural ability and whatever their age sport and activity can make our children healthier, raise self-confidence and self-esteem. It develops teamwork, discipline and a sense of fair play. Values that will stand young people and the country in good stead in the years to come.
"To do this will take a concerted campaign, a real team effort. Government is doing its bit. Schools, parents, volunteers and the sporting world can do theirs. I call on them to join us. Together we can help every child be the best they can be."
The moves will help strengthen the competitive framework for school sport - from grassroots to elite. The ultimate aim is for every child to have access to a range of sporting competition from local and regional level, leading on to national finals.
Mr Brown announced the campaign today at a visit to the West London Academy with culture secretary James Purnell and children schools and families secretary Ed Balls. The school, in Ealing, has an excellent reputation for competitive sport and for its PE provision, for both its own pupils and for those from its partner schools
Mr Purnell said:
"Competitive sport is enjoyable and good for all children and young people, not just those who excel. It helps improve children's teamwork and social skills, and boosts confidence and self esteem. Competitive sport gives every child the chance to be the very best they can be and help us find the champions of tomorrow.
"Many schools are already committed to competitive sport, but often focussed on the school's top athletes. We want every child, in every school, to have the opportunity to compete. We want to see a return to competitions within school as well as a healthy rivalry between schools. Competitive sport should be a key part of school life."
Mr Balls said:
"There has been a quiet revolution in school sport in the past few years. This new package of measures builds on the hugely successful national strategy for PE and school sport and aims to deliver a world class system for PE and school sport for all our young people. The creation of a national competition framework, the increase in the number of professional coaches and the extension of increased sporting opportunities to many more young people than before will all help to keep this country at the forefront of school sport provision and get more young people thinking about their own health and wellbeing."
Double Olympic Champion Dame Kelly Holmes said:
"In my role as National School Sport Champion, I've seen a lot of great work going on in schools' across the country to encourage more young people to get involved in playing and taking part in competitive sport, and that's why the added investment announced by the Government today is a welcome boost. It will enable more schools to offer more competitive sport to their pupils helping more of them to achieve their potential. I therefore welcome the launch of a national school sport week, which will further enhance these opportunities." | 
