Community Programmes

South Yorkshire

The Sharks are an award-winning organisation for the innovation and services to sport in the community. The club has developed a new partnership with B Braun Medical to work to improve the future for your people across the city.

With its Playing for Success Study Support Centre as a core operation, the Sharks partnered with MLS, have developed curriculum based programmes across the whole of South Yorkshire in skills, education, health, enterprise and sports industry awareness. Furthermore, using sport as an engagement tool and its players as role models and mentors, it delivers programmes for young adults who are NEET. It has varying relationships and partnerships with Sheffield United FC, Sheffield Steelers (ice hockey), Sheffield FC (the oldest football club in the world), Doncaster Dons (rugby league), and Doncaster Knights (Rugby Union). In addition, it does run basketball coaching programmes directly into schools through its community coaches and in some cases its actual professional players, but the latter are predominantly used in mentoring and tutorial role.

Amongst the programmes presently and recently operated by the Sharks are:

• Playing for Success A daily After School Study Support Centre at Don Valley Stadium with an opportunity to move to the new National Skills Academy in Sheffield in 2009 or the Concord Leisure Centre. Working with 7-11 and 11- 14 year olds each day throughout the academic year from schools in specific wards to assist with numeric, literacy and ICT skills.

• NEET Programmes In association with the City and Sheffield College, the club operates two programmes through the academic year for young adults. The programme has recorded high retention levels and continues to be a success.

• Sport Enterprise Challenge Working with all four LEA’s in South Yorkshire and directly with many schools, this scheme leads to cohorts of young students (15.16) being trained to stage and implementing a live event at a major sporting venue, under the direct mentoring and supervision of professional sports clubs. The project is now within the school curriculum and ASDAN accredited.

• Hoops for Health PCT funded programmes tackling the issues of diet and nutrition, exercise and smoking amongst junior schools and delivered by a team of tutors including players. The project has been protected by the BBL and is being developed as a League-wide community tool.

• Reaching Attainment Through Sport Funded through Doncaster LEA the scheme targets certain age groups and schools that would be stimulated to learn through experiencing the staging of new sporting events such as Golf Days, Rugby Union and Corporate Hospitality Events.

• Sports Industry Awareness Events Targeting both teachers and 6th form students, the aim is to provide a broader knowledge of the sports industry and the roles available linked to the skills and qualifications required, including low cost start-up businesses, self-employment and initiatives within Yorkshire.

• Sports Media Days Driven by the ITC and Creative and Digital agenda, using sport as a backdrop to highlight the use of new multi-media techniques and technologies in the Playing for Success Centres.

• Basketball Coaching Clinics A growing base of basketball coaching sessions is being offered to schools and after-school groups and only limited by the available and qualified community coaches linked to the club. Used as a source of income to the club but more as an income to supplement players’ earnings and to generate new audiences. The latter has been under-exploited by the Sharks.

• Basketball Camps Sub-regional events held in the school holidays using the players and coaching staff. There is the opportunity to grow these across the region with a joint brand and with the use of Carnegie qualified coaches.

• Mini Sharks A weekly basketball coaching programme organised by the English Institute of Sport - Sheffield and supported by the Sharks Sheffield. For more information on the Sharks Community Programs, please contact the Sharks Office on (0114) 257 1994