December 2007

Inside this issue:

Lets Get Walking!

The Ashford Health Walk takes place every Thursday and meets at Ashford Library at 10.15am for a 10.30am start. Now in its eighth month, the walk has gone from strength to strength, with new routes being tried weekly and the number of walkers increasing each week. Currently an average of 20 people take part in each walk, which is brilliant. Walks last between 45 minutes to an hour and are a great way to improve your health, meet new people, reduce stress and improve your mood. There is no need to book, just come along to the library, introduce yourself and you are ready to go.

To keep the walk going into the New Year, we are looking for some volunteers to help lead the walk from the library. You needn’t be there every week, but just be able to help out every so often with one of walks and free training is given to anyone who expresses an interest. If anyone is interested please email Ruth Brown, Walking for Health Co-ordinater (healthwalks@ekentmht.nhs.uk) or telephone 01304 828700.

Club Development Funding

We recently gave sports clubs in Ashford Borough the chance to apply for Club Development Funding. The money sourced by Ashford Borough Council from Kent County Council’s Sports Development Unit was available to all clubs working towards or having accomplished Clubmark.

Bethersden Tennis Club were successful in their bid and have received £100 as a contribution to help run its established coaching programme. Invicta Valiants Disability Football Club were also successful and have received £240 towards the training of two new FA qualified coaches to enable them to run a girls team.

For all of you who missed out on the first round - you’re lucky! We are running a second round of funding, which will close on the 31 January 2008. For more information and for application forms please email Becky Turner (rebecca.turner@ashford.gov.uk) or telephone 01233 896511.

Ashford’s Community Sports Network - Active Ashford

Active Ashford is the name for Ashford's brand new Community Sports Network (CSN). The network, made up of leaders from within Ashford's sport and physical activity groups is designed to improve communication and working relationships between partners improving opportunities to take part in healthy and active lifestyle.

Ashford is well on its way in developing its CSN, and as part of its work has set up workshops for the representative groups and will be looking to find local priorities which will then form part of programmes of initiatives and activities.

If you would to get involved with Ashford’s Community Sports Network or would like more information then please email Simon Harris (simon.harris@ashford.gov.uk) or telephone 01233 330232.

Do you want to get Clubmarked?

Ashford is pushing forward its bid to increase the amount of sports clubs with Clubmark in the borough. Clinics will be held early in late January and early February for anyone who would like advice or help with their Clubmark file, please email Becky Turner (rebecca.turner@ashford.gov.uk) or telephone 01233 896511 to arrange an appointment.

If anyone would like a chat about Clubmark before these clinics, especially in relation to the Club Development Funding, please feel free to call Becky on 01233 896511 and she will try to help.

The Co-operative Members Fund

This fund will help community groups, self help groups and community charities and fund projects which aim to benefit the local community in which at least one Co-operative Group business trades have a charitable purpose and is in line with the values and principles of the Co-op group. Visit the Co-op website for more information (www.cooponline.coop).

If you would like to apply for community funding further information and an application form visit the Co-op Fund website (www.co-operative.co.uk/communityfund) or email the Co-op (community.fund@co-op.co.uk).

Launch of the Kent School Games

Almost 400 schoolchildren were put through their paces in a mass warm-up to launch the Kent School Games in November. The Games is the first of its kind in Kent and possibly a first in the Country.

Pupils from primary, secondary and special schools came together for an energetic warm up followed by demonstrations of a range of sports to showcase the activities which will be taking place during the county heats of the Kent School Games, an event lead by Kent County Council and sponsored by P&O Ferries.

World, European and Paralympic athletics champion Danny Crates came along to give his support to the event and spoke about his sporting career. All schools in Kent are invited to take part in the local heats and area competitions taking place across the County up until June 2008, in all of any of the 21 different sports included in the games.

As well as the Kent School Games, the Disability School Games (previously Kent Youth Disability Games) will showcase Paralympic sports and both competitions will feature inclusive activities for everyone.

The Kent School Games aims to encourage as many young people as possible to enjoy participating in sport and to create a long-term legacy for Kent from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by helping them to appreciate the benefits of taking part in regular sports activities.

Get back into Netball

Courtside Netball: Pay, Train and Play, a joint initiative form Ashford Netball League and Ashford Borough Council has been a huge success this winter. Ladies from all over Ashford have been meeting at Courtside Sports Facility to play netball, the sessions designed to ease over-16’s back into netball, even if they haven’t played since school have been a brilliant triumph, with over 30 ladies taking part.

There are still 4 sessions in the New Year (16 January, 30 January, 12 February, 27 February), so if you haven’t been yet, but would like to give it a go, it’s not too late! At just £2.50 membership (payable first session) and £2.50 a session (payable on the night) the sessions are great value for money.

The sessions on a Wednesday evening are run on a pay and play basis from 7 - 9pm at Courtside Sports Facility in South Ashford. We don’t ask that you commit yourself to every session, however the more you come the better you get! The sessions start with a gentle warm up, followed by some key netball skills, then a friendly game.

For more information please email Becky Turner (rebecca.turner@ashford.gov.uk) or telephone 01233 896511.

Ashford Boys Show Their Samba Style

Ashford’s Brazilian Soccer School (BSS) were in action over October Half Term against their counterparts from BSS Islington and BSS Brighton.

Islington brought Under 8 teams to the Mini Soccer Centre and their players showed some fabulous skills. Some of them are surely destined for stardom. For many of Ashford’s Under 7 and 8’s this was their first taste of competitive action, and they held their own thoughtout. Ashford fielded four teams with 24 boys in action.

On the following day a three-way Futebol de Salao tournament was held at Courtside between the Under 14 teams of Ashford, Islington and Brighton. Some fantastic skills were on display none more so than from the two Ashford teams, who, despite having several younger players in their ranks, pulled off some notable victories. Goal of the day went to Bradley Wilson Bell.

Further matches are to be held just before Christmas for the BSS players who work so hard on their technical ability during BSS weekly sessions at Courtside and the Mini Soccer Centre.

Socatots Christmas Fun

On Friday 14 December over 35 Socatots and their parents came to Ashford’s Christmas Socatots party, held at Sandyacres, Sport and Social Club. Children had the chance to take part in fun Socatots sessions and meet Santa, who gave them all Socatots themed presents.

For more information on joining the Socatots programme, please call Emma or Ben on 01233 896511, or email Courtside (courtside@ashford.gov.uk).

Brazilian Soccer School and Socatots Timetables - January 2008

Brazilian Soccer Schools (BSS) has been improving the technical ability of Ashford’s young footballers for nearly seven years. Children learn to be creative and express themselves. BSS are endorsed by the likes of Trevor Brooking and Michael Owen.

Based at Ashford’s Mini-Soccer Centre and Courtside, sessions begin again on Saturday 5 January and cost just £25.00 per half term (discounts for full members and siblings, please call for information).

Years R - 1	Saturday	11am - 12pm
Years 2 - 5	Monday	4.30am - 6pm
Years 2 - 5	Saturday	9.30am - 11am
Years 6 - 11	Wednesday	5.30pm - 7pm
Years 6 - 11	Saturday	9.30am - 11am

Socatots is the world’s first Soccer play programme for pre-school children. Based around fun games, the scheme gives children their first start with a ball. Sessions are run by fully qualified staff, in a friendly and safe environment. Ashford’s sessions run from Courtside at the weekends and Sandyacres during the week during term time (see below for details).

Day	Time	Venue	Age	Start Date	Cost
Saturday	9am - 9.30am	Courtside	Under 3's	5 January 2008	£40
Saturday	9.35am - 10.05am	Courtside	Under 3's	5 January 2008	£40
Saturday	10.10am - 10.50am	Courtside	3's and 4's	5 January 2008	£40
Saturday	11am - 11.40am	Courtside	3's and 4's	5 January 2008	£40
Saturday	11.50am - 12.20pm	Courtside	Under 3's	5 January 2008	£40
Saturday	12.30pm - 1.10pm	Courtside	3's and 4's	5 January 2008	£40
Tuesday	9.30am - 10am	Sandyacres	Under 3's	8 January 2008	£40
Tuesday	10.10am - 10.50am	Sandyacres	3's and 4's	8 January 2008	£40
Wednesday	10am - 10.30am	Sandyacres	Under 3's	9 January 2008	£40
Wednesday	10.50am - 11.30am	Sandyacres	3's and 4's	9 January 2008	£40
Thursday	9.30am - 10am	Sandyacres	Under 3's	10 January 2008	£40
Thursday	10.10am - 10.50am	Sandyacres	3's and 4's	10 January 2008	£40
Friday	9.30am - 10am	Sandyacres	Under 3's	4 January 2008	£40
Friday	10.10am - 10.50am	Sandyacres	3's and 4's	4 JAnuary 2008	£40

For more information please call Ben or Emma on 01233 896511 or email Courtside (courtside@ashford.gov.uk).