Step into Sport Volunteer Programme

Sport relies on 1.5 million volunteer officials, coaches, administrators and managers and Cheshire & Warrington Sports Partnersnhips in partnership with Local Authorities, Volunteer Centres, NGBs, Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust plays a major role in supporting their development.

Cheshire & Warrington Sports Partnership supports young people who are aged 16 to 19 through the Step Out element of the (Youth Sport Trust's) Step into Sport Programme.

The purpose of the Step into Sport programme is to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of young people engaged in volunteering and leadership. It is a tool which enables

schools and community settings to grow young people as leaders and deploy them as active volunteers both within the school and community settings.

The programme is designed to support the volunteer to complete 200 hours of sports volunteering within either community clubs, leisure centres, sport development units, local authorities and private organisations. All young people can participate no matter their qualifications or skills.

Step On- The first step onto the Step into Sport pathway is Sport Education, a student-centred curriculum model, within which students learn to plan, manage and run their own sports season as part of their PE programme. This element is led by Schools Sports Partnerships and Schools.

Step In - Focuses on how schools can utilise key stage four (14-16 year olds) young leaders in school-based volunteering; giving the young people the chance to take their first step into active volunteering. This element is led by Schools Sports Partnerships and Schools.

Step Out - This aspect of Step into Sport is based on the movement of young people (16-19) from school-based volunteering to community-based volunteering through the provision of placements in high quality community clubs. Young people are supported by their School Mentor and the County Sports Partnership (CSP) to source a volunteer placement.

Step into Sport On-line Volunteer Passport

The Step into Sport Volunteer Passport is the online portfolio for the Step IN and Step OUT elements of Step into Sport. The system allows every young volunteer to log and manage their volunteering online.

Leadership Academies

Leadership Academies provide localised supprt for young leaders within Schools. Managed by the School Sports Partnerships (with support from Cheshire & Warrington CSP), a leadership academy may take various forms but the outcomes remain the same:

- provide mentoring support to young leaders on a group and individual basis

- signpost young leaders on to appropraite qualifications and awards

- provide the opportunity for young leaders to learn from their peers

- support young leaders to source appropriate placements and volunteering experiences.