Year 10 students met former Prime Minister Tony Blair at his Sports Foundation's campaign to open up grassroots sports to thousands across the region.



Year 10 PE students had the opportunity to meet former Prime Minister Tony Blair at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre on 24th June, when they attended his Sports Foundation's campaign to open up grassroots sports to thousands across the region, in the lead up to next year's Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Inspired by 2012, the 'Coaches for Clubs' campaign aims to see the Foundation team up with school and sports clubs across the North East to inspire people to become volunteers, coaches and officials in the communities that need them most.

This is the first in a number of opportunities this link with the foundation will offer and all students should watch out for these events in the near future.

Students at the academy hope the link will give them the opportunity to get involved in sport and increase leadership opportunities within this field. So far, around twenty students have completed a mini-tennis organizers course and officiated in a mini-tennis competition for Year 3 primary pupils. Several students volunteered at the Macmillan Academy cluster event and some went on to volunteer at the Middlesbrough finals and the Tees valley finals which were both held at Tennis World in Middlesbrough.

tony blair
tony blair
tony blair

Commenting on the motivation behind the decision to launch the 'Coaches for Clubs' campaign and the bid for the Olympics when he was Prime Minister, Tony Blair said:

This is all about inspiration. The inspiration to take up sport, to inspire others to do so, and the inspiration that actually was behind the very reason we decided to bid for the Olympics.

And that was to say that the biggest sporting event in the world, wasn't just going to change that bit of London in which it's located, or for the weeks of the event itself, but actually was going to change our country, its attitude to sport and the sporting legacy for the nation.

For more information, visit the Tony Blair Sports Foundation Website