Sylvia Heal

Labour Party | Halesowen and Rowley Regis

MP welcomes investment in school sport

1st May 2008

Sylvia Heal has welcomed £30 million of investment in school sport to help the most needy sports colleges build new pitches, install floodlights and provide better drainage so facilities can be used all year and round the clock.

The £30 million will be spent over the next three years on improving poor quality playing fields by levelling them off, installing drainage and re-surfacing them. Building floodlit artificial turf pitches which will be available for community use; and installing a new design of sports hall which will benefit Sports Colleges, their partner schools and the local community. These improvements will help keep facilities open for longer and mean they can be used all year round.

The Government’s have established a longstanding commitment to create a world-class school sport and PE system. Over the next three years it is hoped that there will be up to five hours of school sport provided for pupils, a new National School Sport Week introduced- where all schools will be encouraged to run sports days and inter-school tournaments and an increase in the number of coaches in schools and the community to deliver expert sporting advice to young people.

Sylvia Heal MP said: "School sport is vitally important to help keep young people active and fit. I am pleased the Government has already exceeded the target of ensuring at least 85% of children spend a minimum of two hours a week on high-quality PE and sport. I think that this extra funding will help more young people access, enjoy and benefit from sport."