UK Sport Cuts
Basketball Funding G By Sean Dilks
reat British Basketball recently suffered a huge blow when they discovered all funding would be cut. This decision by the government needs to be questioned and discussed further because the advantages and positives of basketball are enormous.
Why take away funding which would benefit so many? UK Sport does not believe Team GB would win a medal at the next Olympics. That might be true, but surely they are not considering the numerous other factors which the sport brings. 70% of all participants are under the age of 25, which means any up and coming talent we have will seemingly not have a chance to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio or the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. It seems UK Sport is basing their decision on current performance and hasn’t looked at all the hard work being put in by county coaches all over the country. The bigger picture shows volunteers dedicating their time and effort making sure this sport continues to run. With funding being cut it will filter down to the junior teams and even to local leagues in Nottinghamshire. Talent simply cannot be nourished to its full potential without an organised system in place. Furthermore, obesity continues to be a worrying problem in this country.
Millions of pounds will be spent on research and campaigns to encourage people to exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Playing a team sport, such as basketball, is a great way to stay healthy and keep active. All over the world basketball is one of the most popular team sports. The only difference between the UK and several other countries is that those countries will continue to pour money into the sport to help it grow and succeed. It seems UK Sport has lost confidence in basketball after London 2012 and invested in sports which they thought would have more of a chance of a medal. Basketball can continue to grow in this country even without the funding from UK Sport. It will take investment and a re-structure but it shouldn’t be out of the question. It may take some time to recover from the financial blow which UK Sport has dealt basketball, but with the right people who have the same goal basketball still has a bright future in the UK. All we have to do is work as a team.
Awards For Sporting Patients
P
atients at The Wells Road Centre in Nottingham have been recognised for their sporting achievements. A special event was held to present the patients with awards for their participation and skill at various sports including football, basketball and cricket. Staff and patients had the opportunity to nominate the individuals and teams they thought were worthy of accolades such as Most Improved in Sport, Team of the Year, Players’ Player and Sports Personality of the Year. Special guests joining staff and patients on the day included representatives from Notts County Football Club, Sport Nottingham, England Basketball, Notts County Council and Trent Bridge Cricket who all provide support to The Wells Road Centre to provide the sporting opportunities available. Luke Donnelly, who presented the Players’ Player, gave an inspirational speech about how involvement in sport helped him in his own recovery journey, progressing from a service user to a peer support worker in the Trust. Professor Mike Cooke CBE, Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare presented the Sports Personality of the Year award. He said: “This was a fantastic event reflecting over eight years of work getting patients and staff to participate in sport with the last few years really seeing The Wells Road Centre take off. It was lovely to see so many patients so very proud.”
The Centre has been highlighted as a beacon of best practice by Sport England. As part of a Sportivate project, staff have worked with Notts County Football in the Community to ensure patients can get involved with sport and reap the benefits; overcoming barriers to participation including low motivation, lethargy and inactivity due to the side effects of medication. There were two recipients of the Sports Personality of the Year Award. Lisa Evans, Health Promotion Lead/Fitness Instructor who organised the event said: “This award was really difficult to give to just one person as there are several personalities around The Wells Road Centre and we had to think long and hard about who deserved it most! It went to those individuals who have continued to attend to motivate others, even when they couldn’t play themselves, who will help out whenever they can and often put themselves forward for just about any sport in order to get a game going. We are really proud of all the patients who won awards but also all of the nominees.” The Wells Road Centre is part of Nottinghamshire Healthcare’s Low Secure and Community Forensic Directorate. It provides three wards for men with mental illness and one for men with a learning disability, and an inpatient service to women cared for by community forensic teams who require a period of low secure care.
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