28th June 2009

I was asked recently to open an Excellence in Sport event at John Spence School. Teams from local secondary schools played against each other in sports like hockey and rugby, and a number of individuals competed in a gruelling superstar challenge. The event was supported by organizations such as Northumbria Police and Northumbrian Water. The Tony Blair Sports Foundation provided the rowing machines for the superstar challenge.

I was reminded how important sport is in building teamwork and encouraging individual excellence. But I was struck too by how far we’ve come in developing sport in the community. In the last few years investment in schools sports facilities has increased dramatically. We’ve got the excellent Marden Bridge sports Centre and the superb facilities at John Spence Sports College. Now all John Spence needs is a new school building through Building Schools for the Future to complement the sports facilities.

There is however another important ingredient for success apart from keen individuals and good facilities. I mean the many volunteers who commit their time to organising teams and events. It’s not just in events like Excellence in Sport – which I hope will become an Annual fixture – it’s the youth teams, the weekend football and rugby in winter, and the tennis and cricket in the summer. For some it may be the love of their sport, having themselves enjoyed the benefits of taking part. Or it may be about putting something back into their community. Who knows – by their actions they may help to create a champion of the future or on the other hand prevent a young person from going down the wrong track and finding themselves on the wrong side of the law. I salute those men and women, young and not so young, who help to make a difference in the lives of so many young people in our local community.