We are delighted to announce that we will be hosting SSP, a School Sports Partnership, at The Mobile Rocket Stadium in Wakefield.

Although based in Wakefield, the organisation, formed in 2018, will operate across West and South Yorkshire.

Sponsored by Applied Creative Ltd, SSP will provide improved PE and School Sport provision within schools while also supporting local Charity, Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.

Craig Shepherd, Wakefield Trinity Community Trust, said, “SSP fit our brand perfectly. They are a non-profit sports organisation. This means schools will receive great value for money and they will be guided by their extensive knowledge of the PE & School Sport Premium guidelines. All of their packages available to schools are driven by demand whilst remaining bespoke to the schools.”

School Sport Partnerships were one strand of the previous Labour Government’s Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) Strategy, launched in 2002.
In October 2010, the then Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, announced that the PESSCL Strategy was being discontinued and that, as a result, ring-fenced funding for School Sport Partnerships would end from March 2011.

After some strong criticism, it was announced in December 2010 that funding for School Sport Partnerships would be extended to August 2011 and that additional money would be made available to encourage the take up of competitive sport.

Both announcements also emphasised that, although funding from central Government was ending, schools could continue, if they wanted, to fund School Sport Partnerships themselves.

Many SSP’s tried to retain the previous model, with a collection of schools spending nominal amounts of funding, particularly since the introduction of the PE & Sport Premium Funding received by Primary Schools in 2013 and beyond.

Wakefield, however, has not had the benefit of a School Sports Partnership in recent years and will now have the opportunity to uniform the School Games calendar with PE & Sport delivery in schools across the district.

Chris Parkinson, Managing Director of Applied Creative Ltd, said, “We jumped at the chance to design a brand that encompassed what SSP was all about. One of the most pleasing aspects was the commitment to drive any surplus funds into the communities around affiliate schools. It wasn’t about making a buck out of school sports, it’s all about improving the existing structure for the benefit of the children, teachers and support staff. It’s a pleasure to be aligned with SSP as a sponsor and branding partner.”

Schools are able to register their interest for more information by emailing YourSSP@mail.com or follow them on Twitter @YourSSP2018.