Devon Active Villages project needs your vote now!
County Sport Partnership Active Devon has today urged Devon people to get behind them and vote for the Devon Active Villages project to win the National Lottery Awards 2013. The project is competing against six other projects for the title of Best Sport Project and is the only local project in England in its category.
The Awards are an annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects, and they aim to celebrate and recognise the difference that those projects have made to people, places and communities all across the UK. The project could be in with the chance of appearing on a BBC One show and winning £2,000 to help continue its work, but is relying on local support with the winner decided by public vote between now and 24 July.
Stuart Dudley, Devon Active Villages Project Lead said: “We need the weight of Devon behind us on this, it is a project specifically for Devon people and even those that haven’t come into direct contact with it can’t fail to be impressed at what the project has achieved. Supporting us is free - just visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards to cast your vote online to help us win.”
Devon Active Villages has helped and supported over 10,000 people living in rural communities to take part in sport where they live by providing specialist support, equipment and training to over 120 villages.
Mr Dudley continued: “What makes this project particularly special is that we work with each local community to establish what is wanted and what is feasible. We then work with volunteers, providing coach training to make the project sustainable and leaving sports provision in place long after our involvement has ended . It’s been an ambitious project and we haven’t done this by ourselves, we have a wonderfully strong and passionate local delivery partner network who have helped us to make Devon Active Villages the success it is.”
“People in the villages have commented how the sessions have really pulled the community together; cricket sessions put on for youngsters in Chagford led to impromptu weekly games of volleyball for the parents and Princetown Football Club, set up following support from Active Villages, brought a whole community together for the first time in many years. This is a project that has gone from an aspiration of a few local people to a reality that is slowly changing the whole dynamic and vibrancy of the town.”
Devon Active Villages, Sported and Devon FA worked together with volunteers to help set up the football team that is now constituted and playing in the local league attracting over 50 people spectators each week.
The programme has also helped to identify undiscovered talent; youngsters from Northlew and North Tawton who started Muay Thai through the project are now British and European Title Holders and Halwill Junction Archers Club, established only recently through Devon Active Villages now boasts a continuously growing medal collection.
The Devon Active Villages approach is so successful, funding has recently been secured to roll out Devon Active Communities, a project similar in nature to Devon Active Villages but which will see more urban communities included.
Matt Evans, Chief Executive at Active Devon said: “Winning this award will be a huge thank you to everyone who worked so hard to deliver this fantastic project and will give recognition to the volunteers and people in the villages who are continuing to make sport happen for their communities.”
Votes can be made for free online between now and Wednesday 24 July 2013.
Click here to vote.
