[WiLT] Women into Coaching 2 - more funding opportunities for London's coaches

[WiL Admin]

Women into Coaching 2 - more funding opportunities for London's
coaches

Less than 10% of British coaches at the 2004 Olympics were women
(despite 40% of athletes at the Games being women) The target for the
2012 London Games is for a minimum of 15% of British coaches to be
female

Source: British Olympic Committee

The Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) has had a direct influence in
bringing over £230K of funding into women's sports coaching with its
initial groundbreaking initiative, Women into Coaching-London.

Now having received £440,000, WSF launched the two-year Women into
Coaching 2 - London initiative in October 2006. The funding will be
used to give 210 women from across London the opportunity to gain
coaching qualifications up to NVQ level 3 in eight sports, including
badminton, basketball, cricket, football, gymnastics, rowing, rugby
league and swimming. Also included are a professional qualification in
developing / delivering community sports programmes and Sport Leaders
UK community and higher sports leaders courses. Full details of the
qualifications included within this programme can be accessed via the
following link http://www.wsf.org.uk/involved/wic.php

Are you eligible? Read on as a few restrictions apply ..
* Minimum applicant age is 16 years old
* You must be working (if applicable) and or living in London: i.e.
you must be paying your council tax (where applicable) to a London
Borough
* Funding cannot be used to support women working in the public sector
/ large enterprises or FE and HE students
* You must have not received ESF funding for more than two consecutive
years before applying for this project
* You must commit to completing the coaching qualification and
attending all courses and training sessions
* You must provide us with documentation prior to starting your
coaching course, this includes a passport copy (proving British
citizenship or right of abode in the UK) and a signed declaration from
your employer (if applicable) confirming the size of the company you w
ork for e.g. micro, small or medium enterprise
* Preferably you should be involved in a club (depending on your
particular sport) which, on completion of your course, may be able to
support you to secure coaching placements

In addition, successful applicants will have access to a personal
mentor to support their coaching development. Following successful
completion of the programme WSF will endeavour to assist beneficiaries
in finding potential educational and employment opportunities. Women
into Coaching 2 - London is funded by the European Social Fund and the
cost of all courses, travel to and from courses and childcare will be
fully subsidised. WSF is therefore seeking women who will be able to
commit the time and effort needed to complete this programme.

This is an excellent opportunity for women across London to be part of
this exciting new initiative. Having read the above restrictions, if
you believe you are eligible to receive this funding, applications are
now being accepted. Places for the Women into Coaching - London
project were oversubscribed and we therefore anticipate demand for
places on the Women into Coaching 2 - London project to be high.

All applications will be assessed by a panel and successful applicants
will be informed as soon as possible with the courses run in early
2007 through until March 2008. Please do not delay in applying for
this worthwhile but time-restricted opportunity.

Application forms are available online
(http://www.wsf.org.uk/involved/wic.php) and can be completed and
posted to Women into Coaching 2 - London, The Women's Sports
Foundation, Third Floor, Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square, London,
WC1B 4SE, or faxed for the attention of the Project Manager, Zoe
Calder, to 020 7273 1981 or emailed to wic2applications at wsf.org.uk

Posted on WiLT blog at
http://www.freecharity.org.uk/~womeninlondon/?p=364