Sir Menzies Campbell Celebrates Grassroots Athletics

Sir Menzies Campbell, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party and scottishathletics Honorary President, was at a Fife school on Monday 19th February to celebrate the Scottish Grassroots Athletics roadshow together with Norwich Union GB & NI athlete Allan Scott (110m hurdler).

Over 70 children from local primary and secondary schools joined them at Bell Baxter High School in Cupar to find out more about athletics opportunities at the roadshow organised by scottishathletics in partnership with SportTayside & Fife on behalf of UK Athletics and its No.1 sponsor Norwich Union. With five years to go before London stages the 2012 Olympic Games, the series of roadshows is designed to engage more young people in sport by bringing together all the grassroots athletics programmes available to schools, clubs and community groups across the UK.

Sir Menzies Campbell said:

“Education, school and athletics go very closely hand in hand. Sport has always been an enormous part of my life and I’m sure a lot of lessons you learn in training then equip you for many of life’s challenges.

With London 2012 and the great possibility of Glasgow 2014, we must build now, in this generation, for our Champions of the future.

These things don’t happen by accident, and we must congratulate scottishathletics, UK Athletics and the support of Norwich Union.”

Many of the current Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland team came through UK Athletics’ grassroots programmes, including Olympic Champion Mark Lewis-Francis, Olympic Bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton and Commonwealth Bronze medallist Jessica Ennis, who started her career taking part in a local Norwich Union star:track scheme.

Allan Scott, who represented Scotland at last year’s Commonwealth Games said:

“sports:hall is how I got into the sport. Athletics wasn’t in my family so without the structure and support offered through sports:hall when I was in school, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

The Scottish roadshow demonstrated the strong links between the Norwich Union elevating:athletics curriculum resource and the established Norwich Union shine:awards, together with Norwich Union star:track and Norwich Union sports:hall. Every year in Scotland alone, thousands of children are introduced to the sport through these dynamic athletics programmes, thanks to the partnerships created by scottishathletics.

Norwich Union elevating:athletics is the newest addition to the grassroots athletics package and is now the foundation for the delivery of athletics in schools. The multi-media curriculum resource has been designed to modernise the way athletics is taught in both primary and secondary schools.

The NASUWT is official co-sponsor of Norwich Union elevating:athletics. Chris Keates, General Secretary said:

“Norwich Union elevating:athletics will leave a lasting legacy for pupils across the UK and NASUWT is delighted to be backing it. The pack is a creative and practical resource for teachers, which will help them encourage and motivate youngsters to participate and achieve in athletics and develop a range of transferable skills for use in other sports.”

Tanya Veingard, Head of Sponsorship and CSR at Norwich Union said:

"We have a strong heritage in athletics and are passionate about the sport - from helping to prepare future champions to increasing participation at grassroots level. Not all children can be World or Olympic champions, but sporting activity can help prepare children from all backgrounds with vital life skills such as improved confidence, discipline, motivation, behaviour and even academic attainment.

Schemes such as ours develop teamwork and leadership skills together with all the associated health benefits of being active. With athletics being the root of all sports, we are in a unique position to champion this cause."