The 3 'Active' Programmes were set up by Sport England in 2000 to develop sport and physical activity from the grassroots.

The School Sports Co-ordinator programme is being delivered in all secondary schools in Allerdale, with the majority of the feeder primary schools also being involved. This programme is a multi agency initiative, managed and delivered by Sport England, the Department for Education and Skills, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the New Opportunities Fund and the Youth Sport Trust.

The programme focuses particularly on areas of disadvantage, recognising the role that schools and sport can play in targeting disaffection among young people.

You can e-mail Vanessa Foster, Sport & Physical Education Development Officer (Cumbria Sport), vanessa.foster@cumbriacc.gov.uk

This programme was aimed at increasing participation across the community as well as linking development to the thematic objectives of improving health, promoting social inclusion, community safety, the environment and lifelong learning. This programme has now finished.

This programme is now coming to an end. It was aimed at providing sport for young people through better coaching, better clubs, better competition and therefore better players. The programme was delivered through the Cumbria Sports Partnership on behalf of Sport England to help young people to achieve more from their chosen sport. There were 10 main Active Sports selected by Sport England and National Governing Bodies of Sport. The first year sports were tennis, cricket, hockey and rugby union, but in a second phase Cumbria brought in an additional two sports, basketball and rugby league.

The funding for Active Sports has almost finished, but it has been replaced by a new programme where by National Governing Bodies receive money directly to deliver a Whole Sports Plan. The plans incorporate all the projects for the sport from grass roots right through to the elite level, identifying how it will achieve its vision and how it will contribute to Sport England's start, stay and succeed objectives. The plans also identify the help and resources NGBs need to deliver their whole sport plans, for example, partners such as county sports partnerships and programmes such as PE, School and Sport Clubs Links (PESSCL) and the Community Club Development Partnership (CCDP).

For more information regarding Active Sports or Whole Sport Plans contact the Cumbria Sport Partnership Manager, Eddie Edge via e-mail on eddie.edge@cumbriacc.gov.uk