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80,000 Inspired into Sport as Olympic Excitement Takes Hold

New figures reveal more than 80,000 youngsters have taken up sport thanks to the Sportivate Olympic legacy initiative.

Three projects are set to receive award from Sport and Olympics Minister for their inspiring work with young people.

Hundreds of young people will receive free Olympic and Paralympic tickets.

More than 80,000 young people have been inspired to do sport in their own time in the first nine months of Sport England's Sportivate Olympic and Paralympic legacy initiative.

Figures released today show that almost 50,000 of the 14- to 25-year-olds have got involved in sport in the past three months alone as the excitement around a home Games takes hold. All of the teenagers and young adults have received six to eight weeks of coaching in a sport of their choice, missing no more than one session.

National Lottery-funded Sportivate aims to give young people who currently aren't playing sport in their own time the chance to find a sport they enjoy. The young people are then helped to find a club or venue where they can keep taking part.

Hundreds of the young people who completed their sports course and then continued to play sport for at least three months are set to receive free Olympics and Paralympics tickets after they were entered into a ballot through the London 2012 Ticketshare initiative.

Sport England's Chair, Richard Lewis, said: "From canoeing to handball, tens of thousands of young people have found the sport that makes them tick thanks to Sportivate and are now forming a sporting habit for life. This is the Olympic legacy in action and it's fantastic to see."

Today three of the 6,428 Sportivate projects that have taken place across the country have been recognised for their inspiring work with young people. They'll now receive awards from the Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson.

Twilight Football organises football matches for teenagers on Friday evenings in Ipswich. The project has been linked to a decrease in anti-social behaviour in the area with police figures showing that anti-social behaviour has fallen by 16%.

CanDance has created six new inclusive youth dance groups in Cumbria after a consultation revealed a lack of inclusive opportunities for young people with learning disabilities such as autism.

Rowing in 2012 has given over 100 young people in Buckinghamshire the opportunity to get involved in the iconic Olympic sport of rowing. The project worked with local schools, colleges, young offender institutions and groups supporting young disabled people.

Hugh Robertson said: "Sportivate shows how hosting the Olympic and Paralympics Games is inspiring young people to take up sport. Congratulations to all the projects across the country involved particularly Twilight Football, Can Dance and Rowing in 2012 who are being recognised for their fantastic work with young people."

Sportivate is being delivered by the network of 49 county sports partnerships, working with local clubs and providers. It is part of the Places People Play official Olympic legacy programme and will benefit hundreds of thousands of young people over four years.

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Comments

LMS Glamorgan

At 09:59 on 26th July 2012, LMS Glamorgan commented:

Great innitative. Please have a look at the following - it will hopefully bring cricket to everybody in Wales.

www.lastmanstands.com/playcricketglamorgan

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