Stoke-on-trent sport and physical activity strategy 2009-2016

Effective partnership working:Developing partnerships which are an essential part of good sportsdevelopment work. These may be at a local level with community groups,clubs or with local agencies such as the youth offending team, or on a largerscale involving partners such as Sport England, Sport Across Staffordshireand <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent, national governing bodies of sport and the NHS;Securing external funding:Achieving additional funding which is important to help expand programmesfor the local community without impacting on existing service delivery;Following good practice:Identifying and learning from examples of good practice, from both within theCity and elsewhere;Promoting:Raising awareness of unique and innovative work within the City;Developing the skills and knowledge of sporting workforce:Investing in the workforce, both professional and voluntary is a high priority.Such investment is arguably the most essential and valuable element ofdelivering a quality service. Appropriate qualifications, functional skills,knowledge and competencies are all vital components that require regularupdating to deliver current programmes and plan future initiatives. Investmentin appropriate training and a coordinated Continual Professional Development(CPD) programme is therefore essential.11. There are a number of major themes in this development centred approachwhich are:• Engaging and empowering ;• Capacity building;• Supporting the voluntary sector;• Outreach;• Promoting social inclusion and sports equity;• Supporting performance.12. These are explored in more detail below.Engaging and empowering13. This theme includes:• Engaging with participants and their communities that seek to empowerlocal people to take part in sport in ways that suit both their own and theircommunities’ needs;Nortoft Partnerships Ltd <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent Page | 41Sport & Physical Activity Strategy 2009 – 2016October 2009