International Inspiration aims to inspire and enable millions of young people in countries around the world to play sport. This changes lives – opening doors to leadership, health, inclusion, excellence, or simply the joy of participation.
International Inspiration Nigeria was officially launched today at the National Stadium in the capital Abuja – with a sports festival attended by young leaders as the centrepiece, before a Memorandum of Understanding was officially signed. Baroness Estelle Morris, former Secretary of State for Education and Skills, was present to witness proceedings, along with a number of other dignitaries and special guests.
Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, said: 'Sport has always been an essential part of my life and I know the benefits it can bring to someone’s life. That’s why I’m delighted to welcome Nigeria as the latest country to the International Inspiration programme – through this we will be reaching out to and inspiring thousands more children and young people to go beyond their personal best.'
Nigeria joins 12 other countries around the world already enjoying International Inspiration, which aims to reach 12 million children and young people of all abilities, in 20 countries, by 2012. It brings to life the promise made by the London 2012 bid team to use sport to enrich and transform the lives of children and young people around the world.
In Nigeria, International Inspiration will specifically use sport to:
International Inspiration will also assist in the development of a National School Sport Policy for Nigeria - as well as implementing comprehensive training for teachers and coaches, to ensure learning is gender-sensitive and accessible by children with special needs. This will include using participation in PE and Sport to focus on promoting girls’ enrolment, retention and academic achievements.
Nigerian schools will be partnered with schools in the UK at both primary and secondary level, where they will work together to share best practice, share cultures and learn from one another.
International Inspiration is delivered as a partnership between UK Sport, the British Council and UNICEF. In Nigeria, the II team will collaborate with a number of ‘in-country’ organisations including the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission/Ministry for Sport to achieve the programme aims. Ultimately, the programme will reach hundreds of thousands of children and young people over the three year project.
To date, International Inspiration has reached 5.6 million children in 13 countries across the world. Supported and welcomed by the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee, it represents a unique opportunity to connect millions of young people around the world with the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.
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Notes to editors:
The International Inspiration programme is governed by an independent charitable foundation. It is delivered through a partnership between UK Sport, UNICEF, British Council and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and supported by other partners including the UK Government, including the Department for International Development, the Youth Sport Trust, the Premier League, the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association and individual donors.
To enable longer-term impact, the programme is developed jointly with the governments, National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees, where appropriate, of participating countries. The programme is supported and welcomed by the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee.
The vision of International Inspiration is to use the power of sport to enrich the lives of millions of children and young people of all abilities in schools and communities across the world, particularly developing countries, by offering them the opportunity to access and participate in high-quality and inclusive sport, physical education and play. The programme is already changing the lives of young people in thirteen countries – Azerbaijan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Jordan, India, Mozambique, Palau, Trinidad and Tobago and Zambia and work now beginning in South Africa, Malaysia, Nigeria and Turkey and has already enriched the lives of 5.6 million children and young people.
International Inspiration was developed as a result of the commitment made by the London Bid team in Singapore in 2005 to ‘reach young people all around the world and connect them to the inspirational power of the Games so they are inspired to choose sport’.
As it heads towards its £2bn budget for staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games, LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now nineteen domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, GSK, Gymnova, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, Next, The Nielsen Company, Populous, Technogym, Ticketmaster and Trident.
There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games Partner, Sainsbury’s.
The Worldwide Olympic Partners signed up for London 2012 are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos Origin, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung and Visa.
