2006 in focus: Sponsored bursary for the sector

Shelly Beresford, SkillsActive - 07/12/06

The Nancy Ovens Trust bursary, sponsored by SkillsActive and awarded by the Nancy Ovens Trust, is aimed at paid or volunteer coaches and leaders who work with children and young people in the active leisure and learning sector.

A former SPRITO Board member (the national training organisation and SkillsActive’s predecessor), Nancy Ovens MBE was an enthusiastic supporter of education, training and development of skills in the active leisure and learning sector. Nancy championed the development of work-based skills in the sport and leisure industry, and contributed significantly to improvements in services for many years.

There was an overwhelming response to the bursary, and following a short listing process, it was clear that the bursary was not going to be awarded to just one person and so the original sponsorship of £2,500 was topped up to £4,000 by the Trust.

SkillsActive’s chief executive, Stephen Studd said; “We were absolutely delighted to sponsor the bursary for the Nancy Ovens Trust. By supporting the award, I feel that we are helping people to continue their professional and personal development in an environment that perhaps takes them away from their comfort zone and really pushes their skills to the next level.

“The fact that so many people applied for this initial bursary was very encouraging. SkillsActive certainly attends to make sponsoring the bursary an annual affair.”

The bursary awardees included Laura Harvey, a volunteer coach with Birmingham City Ladies FC, who wanted to complete her UEFA A coaching licence; Roger Pickering, a volunteer rugby league coach (part of a school sports partnership), who is currently taking a sabbatical from his day job to coach on a full-time voluntary basis; Glenn Smith, swim coach and development officer at Mansfield District Council, who has had a program of coaching sessions with the head performance swim coach at Loughborough University; and Steve Jones, English Volleyball Association coach education and development officer, and England women’s performance coach, who has begun, and will complete a program of visits to volleyball clubs in Perugia to learn from their coaching methods and professional structure to incorporate it into his work with the performance athletes at Loughborough University.

Youngsters get a rugby lesson from Mike Hall MP and Roger Pickering.

To follow Laura’s, Roger’s, Glenn’s and Steve’s progress, keep checking back to: www.skillsactive.com.