Schools have less than a week to take part in this year’s Coles Sports for Schools program.
Since launching in July, 2455 NSW schools, including a large number of local schools, have pledged commitment to get kids active and engaged in grassroots sport with Coles Sports for Schools – an eight per cent increase on last year.
The closing date of October 18 means time is running out to sign up, get collecting and get local schools equipped for sport.
As the biggest program of its kind in Australia, Coles Sports for Schools encourages customers to collect vouchers when they shop at Coles, which their local school can exchange for free sports equipment.
In 2010, Coles Sports for Schools provided over $7 million of sports gear to more than 7600 schools across Australia – almost 30,000 items of sporting equipment to over 2000 schools across NSW alone.
The 2011, Sports for Schools program launched in response to a Coles national survey, which reinforced the importance of getting children involved in sport and highlighted parental concerns about schools being adequately equipped to provide opportunities for kids to try a variety of sports:
– 94 per cent of parents believe it is important for their child to participate in sport, with almost a quarter encouraging more than four hours organised sport per week;
– nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of parents don’t feel their children’s school has sufficient sports equipment and a surprising 88 per cent say they have had to buy equipment for their children to use in organised sport.
NSW Zone Manager, Jeff Browning, said he was excited with the take-up rate this year.
“We’re thrilled to see such an enthusiastic response to the 2011 Sports for Schools program in NSW,” he said.
“Last year set the bar high for registrations, so to have topped that by signing 2455 schools so far is an incredible achievement.
“As our research showed, adequate equipment is crucial for creating sporting opportunities and encouraging kids to get active, so it’s exciting to see New South Wales’ communities coming together and collecting vouchers to invest in their children’s sporting futures. We hope to see NSW continue to build on the success of 2010 and have an even greater impact on their local schools’ resources.”
Coles Sports for Schools 2011 is partnering exclusively with the AFL to sponsor a nationwide network of school football ambassadors to promote the game and develop skills at grassroots level.
