Annual report highlights growing impact of International Inspiration

In addition to the phase one countries - Azerbaijan, Brazil, India, Palau and Zambia - the report also highlights the progress made in the phase two countries announced in November of Bangladesh, Jordan and Mozambique, and activities due to begin in Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago. The report also outlines plans for activities in the three new countries announced today, and evidences how the UK has benefited so far through the programme.

International Inspiration uses the power of sport to transform the lives of millions of children and young people around the world. A first from the Olympic and Paralympic movements for children and young people, the programme has received the formal support of the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee as a core strand of the London 2012 International Education Programme.

Over one and a quarter million children and young people now have more opportunities to take part in high quality, inclusive PE, sport and play through International Inspiration. The programme has achieved a significant amount of positive action and change over the past year, including:

• The development of two major national strategies for sport for young people in Azerbaijan - the Strategy Plan for Athletics Development (2009-12), and the long-term National Strategy on Physical Education and Sport Development (2009-20)
• Giving over 400,000 children and young people in Brazil the opportunity to take part in sport by establishing consistent methods of delivering PE in schools and communities across the country.
• The use of International Inspiration programme models by the Indian Government as the basis for a nationwide community sport programme for children and young people
• The implementation of the first ever primary age after-school sports competitions in Palau
• Regular sporting activities run by all trained community coaches and peer leaders in Zambia reaching out to more than 45,000 children in 76 child-friendly schools across eight communities
• Linking 51 schools in the UK with 51 schools across the International Inspiration countries including visits by programme participants to the UK to exchange knowledge and share experience on how to deliver effective PE and school sport.

Tessa Jowell, Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “In the last 12 months International Inspiration has had a tremendous impact on the lives of millions of children and young people in communities across the world. In Brazil I met young people whose expectations and ambitions for the future have been transformed by the opportunity to play sport and learn new, life-changing skills. 

“We now have firm foundations for the expansion of the programme to meet our ambition of reaching more than 12 million children and young people in 20 countries ahead of 2012 and the creation of a truly international legacy for London 2012 that we hope will live on through future host cities.”

Sir Keith Mills, Deputy Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games said: “It is with immense pride that I have watched our bid ambitions to help children and young people around the world to participate in sport truly become a reality for over a million children. Recognised and welcomed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC), International Inspiration sees for the first time an Olympic host city working with partners to deliver a project of this scale and ambition.”

“All this has been accomplished with the professionalism of the UK delivery partners, UK Sport, British Council and UNICEF, working with the Youth Sport Trust and local partners in-country, including the National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees where relevant, and I look forward to more exciting progress in the coming year.”

The Annual Report can be viewed on the London 2012 website at www.london2012.com/internationalinspiration 

Notes to editors:

International Inspiration uses the power of sport to transform the lives of millions of children and young people of all abilities, in schools and communities across the world, particularly in developing countries, through the power of high quality and inclusive physical education, sport and play.

Delivery is led by UK Sport, in partnership with the British Council and UNICEF. The Government Olympic Executive, part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association are central to the programme, with International Inspiration forming a core strand of the London 2012 International Education Programme. The Department for International Development (DFID) is also a key partner providing funding and other support. The Premier League has also provided funding. Delivery in country is supported by UK expertise from the Youth Sport Trust and by local implementing partners and the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee in each country.

Delivering the ambitions promised by the London bid team in Singapore, the programme aims to ‘reach young people all around the world and connect them to the inspirational power of the Games so they are inspired to choose sport and to see millions more young people across the world participating in sport and improving their lives as a result ’.

Already making a difference to young people’s lives, £25 million of funding has been committed - in November up to £10.2 million was pledged by the British Council on a matched-funding basis, and the Department for International Development (DFID) announced an additional £5.4m, which backed up the £9million already invested by DFID, the British Council, UNICEF, DCMS and the Premier League. Projects are underway in eight countries: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Jordan, Mozambique, Palau and Zambia.  Projects are also due to start in Ghana, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago in 2009. The aspiration is to reach 12 million children in 20 countries by the 2012 Games.

International Inspiration has received the formal support of the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee as an international legacy programme for the London 2012 International Education Programme.

For more information, visit www.uksport.gov.uk/internationalinspiration

For media enquiries contact:

James Rowe, British Council – 0207 389 4939

Julia Smith, DCMS – 0207 211 6215

Julie Burley, LOCOG – 0203 2012 100

Lee Taylor, UK Sport – 0207 211 5105

Nicola Hornzee/Sarah Epstein, UNICEF – 0207 405 5592