21st November 2008
About us
History
1994-1997
- 1994: The Youth Sport Trust is established. Sir John Beckwith commits to improving sport for young people with an investment of £1m each year for four years.
- Developed TOP Play and TOP Sport.
- Employed three area staff.
- Secured BT as first sponsor and Lottery Funding.
- Action-based vision beginning to make a real difference.
- Demand for more brings need for an infrastructure.
1997-2000
- 1997: First 11 designated Specialist Sports College become operational. The Youth Sport Trust is appointed as a support agency to DfES.
- Rapid growth of TOP programmes – more schools, more teachers, more young people.
- Sports Colleges become successful and appealing.
- Need to create a national infrastructure involving all schools.
2000-2002
- Increasing awareness of the power of sport in improving education, health, socialisation, citizenship, creativity, key skills, physical development and sporting success among young people.
- Prime Minister launched the Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy.
- Joint DfES/DCMS PSA target – 75% of pupils to have two hours of high quality PE and school sport per week by 2006.
- £459m new investment over three years.
2002-2007
- Systematic roll out of PESSCL strategy.
- Continued innovation, programmes include Sky Living For Sport, Secondary Playgrounds and TOP Activity.
- Demonstrating the difference – research and evidence.
- 2006: Dame Kelly Holmes becomes National School Sport Champion, a role supported by the government, the Youth Sport Trust and Norwich Union.
- 2007: Olympic gold medallist Darren Campbell becomes Sky Living For Sport Ambassador and Olympic heptathlete Denise Lewis is appointed Zoneparc Sporting Ambassador for the Youth Sport Trust.