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The University of Nottingham’s sports for all initiative has received London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games backing for the second successive year, after being awarded the Inspire 2012 mark.
Any-Body Month, which breaks down barriers to participation while inspiring more people to become active, was recognised as an initiative which holds the seven core Olympic values at its heart: friendship, excellence, respect, inspiration, determination, courage and equality.
Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games explained: “Any-Body Month is encouraging students, staff and the local community to fulfil their potential.
“I am proud that with the help of partners such as The University of Nottingham, we are delivering our vision to use the power of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to boost participation among people, no matter what their ability or past experience.”
After receiving the Inspire mark for the second year running, organisers hope to attract record numbers to the events held over three weekends this March. Those that attend will be able to have a go at wheelchair rugby, badminton and swimming at University Park on March 10th, goalball and dance at Sutton Bonington on March 17th and tennis, sitting volleyball and yoga at Jubilee on March 24th.
To help participants to get the most out of the sessions, representatives from national governing bodies and regional sports groups have been signed up to deliver coaching, while a number of the University’s sports clubs and societies will help with the sessions and learn how to make their own clubs more inclusive.
Hannah Webber, Disability Sports Officer at the University and Any-Body Month organiser, added: “The aim of the event is to raise awareness of the barriers facing disabled people accessing sport, as well as inspiring more people to get active.
“The event has been awarded the Inspire 2012 Mark for the second consecutive year and we’re really keen to include and celebrate sports which feature in the Olympic and Paralympic programme. Any-body can take part, it’s free and it’s fun — why wouldn’t you want to join in?”
Daniel Griffin, Sitting Volleyball Development Manager at Volleyball England is one coach keen to get involved. Daniel said: “It’s fantastic for Volleyball England to be involved in Any-Body Month 2012. The event encapsulates the spirit of Sitting Volleyball, a sport that can be played by people with or without a disability.
“2012 is a crucial year in the development of Paralympic Sports in Britain so it’s great to see 2012 Inspire marked events giving people the opportunity to try these sports and develop a greater understanding of them. We hope that by giving people the opportunity to play Sitting Volleyball, they will decide to take up the sport in the future!”
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is also the most popular university in the UK by 2012 application numbers, and ‘the world’s greenest university’. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fund-raising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news…
About Any-Body Month: Any-Body Month is the University’s annual disability sport awareness event, giving all students and staff the chance to try sport for free. 2012 will be the third year that the event has been run and will feature sports and activities inspired by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The event has been given the Inspire 2012 mark for the last two years and received the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) ‘Diversity in Sport Award’ in 2010. www.nottingham.ac.uk/sport
About the Inspire programme: The Inspire programme is run by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It is an opportunity for everyone to be a part of the London 2012 Games — a broad participation programme spanning sport participation, education, sustainability, volunteering, and business opportunities & culture. New opportunities are being created to inspire young people and encourage the whole of the UK to join in. The Inspire programme has awarded over 1,400 different projects the Inspire mark.
About London 2012: The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are delivered by two key organisations — the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).
LOCOG is responsible for staging a memorable Games in 2012. They will deliver the best possible Olympic and Paralympic Games experience for everyone involved, enabling a lasting legacy and inspiring people to join in.
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is the public body responsible for developing and building the new venues and infrastructure for the Games and converting the Olympic Park for long-term use after the Games.
In the summer of 2012, the UK will come alive with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Find out the latest from the London 2012 blog — london2012.com/blog