If anyone needs to contact a member of staff tomorrow or Monday could you please use their mobile number. This can be found on their profile.

Our telephone number will remain 0161 223 1002!

This year’s event will include Wheelchair Basketball, Athletics and Football (7-aside), with international matches taking place in Boccia and Sitting Volleyball during the event.

Channel 4, the London 2012 Paralympic Games host broadcaster, will provide multi-platform coverage of the BT Paralympic World Cup for a second year, compounding its commitment to raise awareness of Paralympic sport.

BT has been the title sponsor of the BT Paralympic World Cup since 2009. As the only annual elite international multi-sport disability event in the world, it was created to bridge the gap between the four-yearly Paralympic Games.

The team concept, introduced in 2010, is returning for a third year and will see athletes from Great Britain take on teams from the Americas, Europe and the Rest of the World across the sports. The current BT Paralympic World Cup defending champions are Great Britain.

The Manchester Regional Arena will host all the sporting action at the 2012 event, with sport schedules and ticket details to be announced in February. For more information on-going please visit: www.btparalympicworldcup.com.

Brett is one of the teenagers and young adults who’s received six to eight weeks of coaching in a sport of their choice.  He joined a cycling session in Oldham and is now keen to keep riding and explore the local countryside.  He said, “I have attended most of the sessions and found them great fun.  I’m more confident on a bike now and will be riding much more in the future.”

Responding to the legacy pledge made by Seb Coe in Singapore in 2005, Sportivate is aimed at 14- to 25-year-olds who currently aren’t playing sport in their own time, giving them the chance to find a sport they enjoy. The young people are then helped to find a club or venue where they can keep taking part.

GreaterSport is running Sportivate in Greater Manchester.  On offer across the County are a range of sports to try including Cardio Rugby, Rugby League-inspired fitness classes for women in Wigan; trampolining for young people with disabilities in Stockport and Basketball for beginners in Manchester.

Richard Saunders, Chief Executive of GreaterSport, said: “The success of Sportivate in Greater Manchester is due to a multi-agency approach, bringing together many organisations to provide fun, innovative sports sessions with strong links to local clubs and venues where people can continue with the sport they have tried”.

Find out more about sportivate and find a session at www.greatersport.co.uk/sportivate

The Greater Manchester School Games series event is the gateway for teams to gain a place the regional round of the England Basketball schools competition.

Thursday 26^th and Tuesday 31^st January 2012 saw the U16 age groups of the competition fight it out in the battle to earn their place in the next stage.

Failsworth were victorious in the boys competition beating Urmston 30 – 12 in the final. They will now go through to the regional round, good luck!

The girls was played in a round robin format with Priestnall playing consistently well throughout the competition and winning every game – earning them a well deserved first place in the competition, well done!

Priestnall High School, The Elton High School and Ellesmere Port Catholic High School who will go through to the regional round, good luck!

The full report of the event with pictures of the winners can be found here.

Sport England chair Richard Lewis and sport minister Hugh Robertson today (1 February) launched the investment round, which is part of plans to establish a lasting Olympic legacy.

The Inspired Facilities fund is part of the wider Places People Play legacy programme and is available to boost run-down facilities that might otherwise be unappealing to participants.

Funding is also available to transform existing buildings into venues suitable for grassroots sports, with the programme designed to place sports club back at the heart of communities.

Lewis said: “We want people all over England to be able to look back on 2012 as the year when their local sports facilities got better, as well as the year the Games came to our country.”

Robertson added: “These grants can make a big difference in modernising sports provision and giving facilities a new lease of life.”

The first round of Inspired Facilities funding saw 350 local clubs share a £17.4m package.

Coaching is not just about being able to talk to a group; you must be able to engage with players using different coaching styles. This means using verbal, visual and written communication effectively.

If you are serious about bringing the best out of your athletes / players when it really matters this course is a must for you!

There is an Effective Communication Skills for Sports Coaches course on Thursday 15 March 2012 (6.30pm – 9.30pm) at Brooklands Sports Club, Sale costing only £25.

For more information on the course and to book on click here.

Big Dance is coming to every region of the UK between 18 May and 9 September 2012. Everyone is invited to be part of Big Dance 2012 – all dancers, all dance styles, all sorts of locations.

This month the spotlight is on Manchester Amputee Fitness Initiative (MANFIT). Find out more about them and why they have had the spotlight on them at www.greatersport.co.uk/spotlighton

If you would like to have the spotlighton you visit please contact karenb@greatersport.co.uk

About the Club

Manchester Amputee Fitness Initiative is a unique service for amputees.The aim of MANFIT is to give prosthesis users the confidence to get/keep fit and ultimately to integrate into main stream sports centres but they can continue attend Manfit sessions if they want to. Confidence follows on from the strength, stamina and flexibility that lead to better operation of the prosthesis. The social interaction during exercise and after, during a free lunch, together with exercise induced endorphin release also gives people confidence. All sessions are FREE apart from non-contact boxing sessions. The gym sessions take place at The Manchester College (Openshaw Campus) fitness suite on Fridays 10.30-11.30am followed by a FREE lunch. A weekly exclusive swimming group takes place at Manchester Aquatics Centre (MAC) on Tuesdays from 1.30 – 2.30pm. A weekly non-contact boxing session takes place at Moss Side Fire Station on Wednesdays from 10.00 – 11.00am for a small fee.

Why have we put the spotlight on Manchester Amputee Fitness Initiative?

The swimming sessions have new funding through Manchester Sport and Leisure Trust and Sport England. Their members are now special members of the MAC with their own swipe cards because of the work of Jemma Alderson (Sports Development Officer), Clare Goatman of Manchester Sport and Leisure Trust and Louise Gardiner, Commercial and Event Manager Serco Leisure (Managing on behalf of Manchester Sport & Leisure Trust). Hopefully this should result in an increase in the number of people taking advantage of the health and social benefits of MANFIT. These benefits cannot be overestimated as they contribute to the feelings of wellbeing and confidence MANFIT sessions give to new and experienced amputees.

For more details please visit www.manfit.org

The aim of the 2012 National Go Canoeing Week is to encourage 2012 new participants by date of the London Olympic opening ceremony, and we would like you to be part of it!

We are asking all Canoe England Clubs, Centres and providers to help make this week an action packed week of canoeing activity. By organising a Go Canoeing Starter Session you will be helping the sport grow; providing opportunity for people in your local area to experience Canoeing and inspire them to do more. If you are interested in organising a Starter Session please visit our website for more information.

National Go Canoeing Week will also see the launch of a brand new project and website called Go Canoeing which is a national campaign supported by Canoe England, to encourage and inspire more people to go canoeing more regularly. Go Canoeing will have a range of captivating and exciting activities and opportunities for people to enjoy. These will include Go Canoeing Starter Sessions, Guided Tours and Events, as well as information on where to go and how to get started, visit the website for more information.