This allowed each coach to develop individual Personal Development Plans based on their requirements.

Other key benefits that the coaches enjoyed during the programme were actual coaching experience, dedicated one-to-one support, learning through practice and sharing this learning with other coaches from different sports.

Since completing the programme - a partnership between sports coach UK, Sport NI and the Southern Sports Partnership - one graduate has started a full time job in coaching, while another is set to travel to New Zealand for further work experience.

Plans for year two of the programme are under way.

Minister says Coaching Key to Success

Minister for Sport and Olympics Hugh Robertson told the UK Coaching Summit that having the right coaching structure in place is one of the cornerstones of producing medal winners.

The Minister also said coaching, as part of sport, is fortunate as changes to the National Lottery will see an extra £50m per year made available to sport as part of ensuring a participation legacy from London 2012...read more

Initiative Increasing Coach Numbers

A partnership between sports coach UK and the John Lewis Partnership is contributing to Government targets of increasing the number of skilled, active and qualified coaches in the UK at all levels.

The Partner Coaching Programme is an innovative initiative to train up to 1000 Partners (employees) of the John Lewis Partnership as coaches by the Summer of 2012...read more