Funding and bursaries

SkillsActive and Nancy Ovens Bursary

Sponsored by SkillsActive and awarded by the Nancy Ovens Trust, the bursary is aimed at paid or voluntary coaches and leaders across all five sectors in the active leisure and learning sector.

Applications for 2009 are closed but you can find out more about our applicants from this, and previous years, here.

Get Qualified North West

Get Qualified NW aims to help individuals gain qualifications across the Sport, Outdoors and Health & Fitness sectors. It is a fantastic opportunity to receive financial support towards your training and development needs. This programme is not only open to individuals but also to employers, subject to eligibility, who may have staff that would specifically benefit from accessing support for up-skilling and development opportunities.

Get Qualified NW provides applicants with the opportunity to receive a contribution of up to 60% towards course fees - capped at £200 for a Level 2 and £300 for a Level 3 - for certain Sport, Outdoors and Health & Fitness qualifications.

Find out more and apply at www.getqualifiednw.org.uk

SkillsActive helped broker from the European Social Fund while the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure will help deliver training.

East-links: Leading the Field

The new “East-links: Leading the Field” project - offers free sport and active leisure training opportunities in the East of England. The project provides the opportunity to access a range of sport and active leisure qualifications that are 100% funded including:

• Coaching qualifications in a number of sports
• Officiating qualifications in a range of sports
• Coach tutor qualifications
• Health and fitness qualifications
• Leisure facilities / operator qualifications
• Community sport qualifications such as mentoring
• Management development workshops

For more information and to register your interest click here.

If you have any questions regarding this opportunity phone Nigel Oglesby on 01480 409308 or email info@acer.ac.uk

Other opportunities

The Personal Best and Recruit into Coaching programmes both offer funded opportunities to enhance skills within our sector.

Coaching Bursaries:

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and Sport England have funding into sports coaching qualifications around the country with projects being managed by SkillsActive.  Aimed at both aspiring and existing coaches, it will help them gain qualifications at level 1, 2 and 3 by subsidising courses which are recognised by the UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC).

Further information is available from the local county sports partnerships (CSP) involved, find out more in the sections below.

National | East Midlands | London | South East | Yorkshire & Humber

National Coaching Bursary

This £1.8 million scheme has been delivered in partnership by the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure, SkillsActive and sports coach UK. People taking an official coaching course recognised by the national governing bodies (NGBs) of 45 sports were able to apply for the support.

The programme was set up to fund:

• 3900 bursaries for people taking sports coaching courses
• Support for 1800 coach educators/tutors to achieve further qualifications
• Support to professionalise coaching schemes such as e-learning tools, databases and resources.

Applicants must have undertaken a course from the 1 Jan 2009 up to the 31 March 2009, and they can apply for a rebate of up to 66% of the course costs.

For more information visit the National Skills Academy website.

East Midlands Coaching Bursary

For more information coaches and aspiring coaches are advised to find out more about bursaries in the region through their county sports partnerships:

• Derbyshire Sport - www.derbyshiresport.co.uk/workforce_development/coaching/bursary/default.asp
• Leicestershire and Rutland Sport - www.lrsport.org.uk
• Lincolnshire Sports Partnership - www.lincolnshiresports.com
• Northamptonshire Sport - www.northamptonshiresport.org
• Nottinghamshire - tim.stevenson@nottscc.gov.uk - www.intosport.org.uk

London Coaching Bursary

Since it was launched in 2007, the SkillsActive London Coaching Bursary has supported the training of over 2000 coaches. Across London, in 28 different sports, individuals have benefited from a subsidised bursary (66% of the cost of the training) to pay for a qualification at Level 1, 2 or 3. These individuals were all either working or volunteering in sport in London or planning to do so. The support of national governing bodies, sports clubs, Local Authorities, coaching employers and key partners has been essential in making this possible. The enthusiasm and commitment of coaches to professionalise and upskill themselves has been inspiring.

SkillsActive would like to thank all those that have been involved in this success.

South East Coaching Bursary

The South East coaching bursary scheme funds UKCC qualifications at Levels 2 and 3 and is being driven through the National Governing Bodies of the eligible sports. Over 1000 coaches will recieve part funding for their courses between now and December 2010. For more information click here, or contact your National Governing Body or Emma Forward at SkillsActive: emma.forward@skillsactive.com.

Yorkshire Coaching Bursary

The National Skills Academy administers the Yorkshire Coaching Bursary in partnership with SkillsActive, with funding from Sport England Yorkshire and the regional Learning Skills Council. The scheme has been put in place to assist training of new coaches and up-skill existing coaches in the region, and therefore meet the demand for UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) qualified coaches by employers throughout Yorkshire & Humber.

For more information visit the National Skills Academy website.