NEWS ARCHIVE - MAR-APR 2011

After the Podium

Olympic Linked Clothing Exhibition 

What do Scotsmen wear under their kilt? It’s a popular question that the new costume exhibition ‘After the Podium’ does not answer! It does however answer the question what do competitors wear after the Olympic Games, as for the first time, and inspired by the 2012 Games, Horsham Museum and Art Gallery is displaying a range of costume and textiles from competing countries. This exhibition is a riot of colour, materials, shapes and styles as countries’ costumes spanning the globe jostle in this the first of Horsham Museum and Art Gallery’s Olympic inspired displays over the next year. 

'After the Podium’ is a rare opportunity to see some truly amazing clothing and textiles that have been collected by Horsham Museum since the first Olympic Games in 1896. On display is a fantastic suit of Samurai armour from Japan―a country under an Emperor that had just begun to Westernise when the games started. The armour was not daily wear, unlike the Japanese Kimono, which compliments it and is still worn in a modernised form today.

The display also features some unusual items of clothing, including a Jubba tunic from the Sudan, a Fugu from North Ghana and a cap from the Faroe Islands―not items that you see being worn by modern sportmen, who tend to don the ubiquitous track suit, yet clothing that very much reflects the culture of the countries competing.

The Olympic Games might inspire people to take up sport, while this exhibition could have a similar effect on the creativity of the Museum’s visitors as the public have chance to see some intriguing fabrics, clothes and glimpses of other cultures.

“After the Podium: A Selection of Competing Countries’ Costumes” is part of the World comes to Horsham goes to the world idea that grew out of the events that take place in London in 2012.

The exhibition opens on 14 April and closes 30 September 2011. For further information please contact Terri Lefevre, Museum Assistant.

 

Silver Ping Project Gets the Go-Ahead

Horsham District Council has been successful in securing £10,000 to develop table tennis activity within residential care home settings for older people. The project - Silver Ping - will be delivered in partnership with a number of other organisations, notably Horsham Table Tennis Club and is part of the Leisure Link team's plan to offer as wide a range of people within the district as possible a chance to share in the area's Olympic participation legacy.

The extended project follows in the wake of a highly successful pilot sessions that were run at the Henfield Day Care Centre last year - view report here.

For further information contact Paul Taylor

 

Come and Play Baseball! 

Report by Guy Packham

Horsham Junior Baseball Club (HJBC) is the largest youth baseball club in the country and is now in its fifth season. The club started in 2006 and has grown from 69 children that took part in the first season to over 200 boys and girls that played last year. The club operates out of Ingfield Manor School, in Five Oaks which is near Billingshurst. 

The club caters for both boys and girls aged between 6-16 and children of all abilities, beginners and those with previous experience are welcome to join. There are different leagues for children depending on their school year with a league for the younger children in years 2 and 3 called the Pinto league. The Mustang league is for boys and girls in school years 4, 5 and 6. The age group up from that is the Bronco league for children in years 7 and 8. The oldest age group that HJBC caters for is the Pony league for years 9, 10 and 11. 

There are different teams that play in the league with the Redsox training on a Monday night, the Yankees on a Tuesday, the Mets on a Wednesday and the Athletics on a Thursday. Training takes place from 6.00pm – 7.30pm each week during the season. 

For the 2011 season, players have been assigned a team to play on and team practices started in April, with an opening day/fun tournament taking place on Saturday 7^th May. League games start the following Saturday on 14^th May and the 10 game Baseball season finishes on Saturday 30^th July. All practice sessions and games are played at Ingfield Manor School. 

The cost to play in the Pinto league for the 2011 season is £55, the Mustang league is £65 and the cost for the Bronco and Pony leagues is £70. This is a one off payment and includes all practice sessions and games. 

For more information about Horsham Junior Baseball Club please contact Rob Burnie on 07584 298376 or Helen Bradley on 01403 784945 or go to the club website www.horshambaseball.co.uk

 

Egor Finds the Right Pitch

Report by Paul Taylor

The first tournament of the 2011 Junior Golf Challenge took place on Sunday 17^th April at Cottesmore Golf Club. Now in its fifth year, the Junior Golf Challenge consists of six tournaments that take place at three different venues over the summer months aimed at children from 5-15. The venues hosting the tournaments this year are Cottesmore Golf Club, Rookwood Golf Club and Horsham Golf and Fitness.

20 young golfers arrived on a sunny April afternoon at Cottesmore which was hosting a tournament for the first time. The first groups to tee off were in the boys 12-15 age group with five players aiming to shoot the lowest score to be declared winner. Nine carefully selected holes from the 18 were chosen for them to play with holes shortened to challenge their short game.

The older age group was particularly close with first and second place and also third and fourth place being decided on count back after players finished on the same number of shots. Both Tom Brook and Bradley Allmark hit fantastic rounds of 38 but Tom emerged victorious via the count back which looked at the scores for the last three, then two and then last hole after he hit a par three on the penultimate hole whilst Bradley could only manage a four.

As winner, Tom secured 10 points in the Junior Golf Challenge and Bradley was awarded with eight for finishing in second place. This was still a fantastic achievement for Bradley, winner of the younger 8-11 age group last year, who had moved up into this age category this year having now turned 12. Third and fourth place was also decided by count back after both Ben Hill and Will Alford took 43 shots to complete their rounds and was ultimately only decided on the last hole played with Ben Hill managing a three to secure third and the bronze medal and Will a four to finish just outside the medals. Calum Robinson was just one shot behind in fifth place with a round of 44 and showed just how close things were in this age group.

The only girl competing in this tournament was Kirsty Holmes and she managed to get around the nine holes with a score of 61 to take first place and the gold medal and it is hoped that there will be more girls taking part in future tournaments to provide her with some much needed competition.

There were eight children competing in the boy’s 8-11 age group and again the scores were very close. As always there had to be a winner and in this case it was Egor Zotov who claimed first place and the 10 points which means he is top in this age group. Egor managed a winning score of 39 which included two pars. This was a particularly good score and meant he only took one shot more than Tom Brook who won the older age group. Two shots further back in second place was Declan Doherty who took 41 shots to complete the round and in third place was Cameron Gibson who carded a 43. Oli Tipple finished just outside the medals, claiming fourth place with a round of 44. Ethan Neal finished in fifth place with a score of 46, Henry Gibson was sixth with 47 shots, Gareth Richardson claimed seventh with 54 and Jack Robison took 64 shots to finish in eighth place.

The last age group of the day to get out onto the course were the boys in the 5-7 age group and they played just the first five holes. Although the children in this age group were the youngest, there was some great talent and fantastic shots displayed. Top spot went to Joshua Greig who went round in an incredible 24 shots to claim the gold medal. Second place went to last years runner up, Alfie Hutton who shot a 28. Third and fourth place were taken by Ben Powell on 32 and Jack Williams on 37.  Finishing off in fifth and sixth place was Jay Bicknell on 40 and Gabriel Greys on 54. 

Although this was only the first tournament in this year's Junior Golf Challenge, it is obvious that this year is going to be close as there are some very talented young golfers taking part. Children are encouraged to try and attend as many of the six tournaments as they can so they do not miss out on crucial points which could see them claim top spot in their age category at the end of the challenge.

Full results round up here

The next tournament is taking place at Rookwood Golf Club on Saturday 7^th May and anybody interested in taking part should contact Paul Taylor on 01403 215637 or paul.taylor@horsham.gov.uk

 

Horsham Sparrows Invited to Link with Fulham FC..!! 

 Horsham Sparrows FC have been invited to become a ‘partner club’ to the Fulham Girls Centre of Excellence (CoE) from the beginning of next season.  This will mean closer links between the two clubs with opportunities for the girls to receive coaching by the Fulham CoE staff, visits to the premiership training ground, closer liaison between the coaches from each club, and to play in tournaments organised by Fulham against other partner clubs.  

The partnership will provide a clearer pathway for any local girls that are  released by Fulham to stay involved in football at a good standard by playing for Sparrows in the Sussex County Women and Girls league.

Sparrows are the only Sussex club to be invited to partner Fulham so far, and one of only six in total across the south-east.

Club Coaching and Development Officer Gary Budinger said he is delighted with the opportunity this gives to the club and local girls in particular, and said it was an honour to be selected by Fulham from so many other clubs.  Sparrows have in the past seen some of their players move on to play for the Fulham CoE teams, and more recently the younger girls team have visited the Fulham FC premiership training ground at Motspur Park for end of season coaching.

If you have any further questions about Horsham Sparrows or the partnership please contact secretary@horshamsparrows.com

Nordic Walking Boost

Congratulations to the North Sussex Nordic Walking Partnership, a group set up to develop and promote nordic walking in the area, which has just received news that it has been successful with a £7,700 bid to the Lottery Awards for All fund. The money will be used to fund the training of a number of local instructors, purchase equipment and promote the activity.

Further information - Ian Ford

 

Local Job Alert!

The Exercise Movement and Dance Partnership based in Horsham, is advertising for an Assistant Movement and Dance Officer. The role incorporates a Level 3 NVQ in Sports Development including the Level 3 Certificate in Movement and Dance. See attached for the job advert

The closing date is the 6^th May and all applications should be sent to chloe@emdp.org

 

HCC Scouting for Cricketing Girls

Horsham Cricket Club Ladies are on the look out for more players. The section is well established with a senior team competing in Division 2 of the Women's Southern League and a good number of juniors and they train on Thursday evenings under the guidance of fully qualified ECB coaches.

To read the Club's recent press release on this recruitment drive click here

For more information contact Janet Barnes on 01403 242018 or the club office on 01403 254628.

 

Kate Makes England Debut

Horsham TTC member Kate Cheer, aged 10 from Bewbush, played for the England Primary Schools able Tennis Team recently in a home international event in Cardiff.

She was part of a bronze winning team and won a highly creditable 8 out of 10 matches. In the individuals she also went in the quarters losing 3-1 to Ireland's Nya Nguyen.

 

Quadkids Workshop

Leisure Link has organised a Quadkids Workshop to run on Monday 18th April, 11am-1pm at Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre. Quadkids is the new UK Athletics recommended form of athletics competition for primary aged children and is a key theme of a project that Horsham Blue Stars Athletics Club is about to start in partnership with Leisure Link. Further information about Quadkids available from the Quadkids website.

The workshop is free and anybody with an interest is welcome to attend. For further and booking contact James Wrigley

 

Baseball Club Announces Its Programme

Horsham Junior Baseball Club has announced its programme for the coming season - click here to see it - which includes an opening day spectacular on Saturday 7th May at their Ingfield Manor School home.

The club caters for youngsters from 5-14 and prides itself on supporting children to have a great time playing matches in a fair and good spirited environment. The separate but related U16 Horsham Hornets team travels all around the south of the country to play other clubs.

For further information visit the club website or contact Paul Taylor

 

Loxwood Primary School Win Year 3/4 Football Event

Loxwood Primary School's year 3/4 team has won their category in the Broadbridge Heath Primary Schools Football League, a competition run by DC Leisure. They beat off the challenge of Partridge Green's Jolesfield School and managed to achieve straight wins in all their matches.

The year 5/6 event is still in progress. In Division A St Mary's School, Horsham lead the table by one point, in Division B St John's lead Holbrook at the top but St Peter's, Henfield and Steyning B are loitering with intent just behind with a game in hand.

Click here for results and tables for both age categories

Further information - Sophie Pateman 01403-211311

 

Tanbridge Do the Double

7/4/11 - report by Luke Polie

Tanbridge House School and Sackville School under 15 teams recently battled to determine who would become Sussex County School Football champions. The game was played at Worthing stadium at 7:30 pm on Wednesday the 6^th of April.  It was a close game that could have gone either way with some brilliant football being played through out the eighty minute match.

A perfectly executed free kick taken by Stanley Rice separated the two teams before half time having taken a deflection off one of Sackville’s defenders. Some excellent defending and goalkeeping win for Tanbridge safeguarded their advantage through to the final whistle.

Just before this game, Worthing stadium saw Tanbridge House School play Hove Park School in the under 12 Sussex County Cup final. After twenty minutes it looked to be fairly even with two strong teams. Hove Park School looked to be strong in the first ten minutes however Tanbridge recovered and dominated from the end of the second half when a magnificent free-kick taken from 30 yards flew in to the top left corner. Tanbridge won 2-0 on the night which meant they had won in both age groups doing the double.

 

FA Launches 'Just Play' Initiative

The Football Association has linked up with the confectionary giant Mars to launch an initiative to get more adults to 'Just Play' football. Just Play Centres are to be set up as informal opportunities for men and women of all abilities to play in an enjoyable environment. Click here for more information

The FA is now seeking to work with local delivery partners to get the scheme moving and will be providing support (eg promotional resources) and incentives (eg kit) towards making things happen. Any organisation in the Horsham District interested in developing a Just Play Centre but possibly requiring local advice and support is welcome to contact Ian Ford, HDC's Sports Development Officer.

   

Robert Southwell Capture Rugby Prize

Robert Southwell Junior School from the Roffey area of Horsham are the new primary school champions of the Horsham District. They beat St Peter's School, Henfield by 5 tries to 3 in the final to take the title. Although Robert Southwell is a relatively small school the result was not a particular surprise with a number of their team training within Horsham Rugby Club's junior ranks. See results

Further information - Paul Taylor

 

Call to 14-25 Year Olds to Get Sportivated!

 

Steyning TT Windfall

Steyning Grammar School has just been awarded a Sport England Small Grant of £9850 for the purpose developing table tennis. The money will go into equipment, training and programme development and hopefully, working with a range of partners including Leisure Link and Steyning Table Tennis Club, the school will rise as a TT force in the county.

For further information contact Ian Ford

 

Mike Wins Learner of the Month

Leisure Link's Sports Development Assistant Mike Hobbs has won the 'Learner of the Month' award with training agency BHTA. For further details click here

 

Pole Position at BBH 

Pole vaulting is one of the most spectacular of all the athletics events skill, speed, strength and nerve. But far from being out of reach to anyone who might like to give it a try, there are several places across Sussex you can get started in this event. 

The nearest local opportunity is at Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre where, for the last six months or so, a new all-ability pole vault squad has been meeting to learn the basics under the supervision of UK Athletics qualified coach Dave Ingram. Athletes from as young as 12 years and up to 36, from as light as 70lbs, to just under 200lbs, have been working hard to improve their skills each week in preparation for the season ahead.  

Whether you are a complete novice or have years of athletic background behind you, as long as you have a willingness to try, can run, jump and hold on tight, then pole vaulting could just be the sport for you.

To find out more about how you can get involved in this event or to take up the last few spaces in the squad please call Dave Ingram on 07887 600175.

 

Net Gain for Rudgwick and CNV

Rudgwick and CNV teams have won the last two Horsham District Adult Netball Festivals run by Horsham Leisure Link's Community Netball Coach Hannah Bacon at K2 Leisure Centre, Crawley. On the 27th February Rudgwick pipped Partridge Green in an exciting final 6-5. CNV (a collective of Crawley League players) beat Rudgwick's U16 'Panthers' team to take third place. On 20th March CNV upped their game to top the table with 35 points, leaving Partridge Green again as bridesmaids rather than brides in second place with 29 points. Follow this link for full results.

After a succession of weather and court problems it is good to see these festivals up, running and popular again. Next festival is on 1st May at K2 and people should contact Hannah Bacon on 07917 523135 for further information.

 

Horsham Up and Running

Horsham Joggers is inspiring lots of Horsham people to get running. The club is in the middle of its second 'Learn to Run' programme aimed at beginner level runners. So far over 75 men and women ranging in age from their early twenties into their sixties have felt the benefits of getting back into the running swing.

Catherine Booth and Trish Evans, both qualified running leaders, have masterminded this success story which as well as boosting local fitness levels has also benefitted her club's membership levels as all programme attenders automatically become members. Having led the initiative initially Cath and Trish have now been joined by another two trained leaders in a club delivery team of four to cope with the high demand!

The programme takes place over a 10-week period with three training sessions per week and aims to get people running up to a minimum of 5k at whatever pace each individual wants to do it at. Coaching advice covers aspects such as technique, pacing, nutrition and footwear. Talking whilst running is another art that the Joggers have a good reputation for teaching! For those wanting to progress further there is the opportunity to link into more advanced club training groups.

The HJ Learn to Run process has also embedded an event focus. The first course prepared a number of its participants to enter the Battersea Park Mo run (see photos) and the current course will climax with entry to a Brighton and Hove Park Run on May 7th.

For further information about Horsham Joggers' Learn to Run courses contact Catherine Booth on cath@cathbooth.co.uk or 07552 755490

 

Summer Cycling Sales

Four Horsham primary schools - Heron Way, Northolmes, Leechpool and Greenway - are set to receive skills cycling from British Cycling's Regional Coach, Tim Sales, over the summer term as part of a plan to further boost the promotion of Horsham Youth Cycling Club.

Children will develop their skills with a variety of challenges, lots of quality coaching input and those who are more competitively motivated will have a chance to engage in some fun competition. Hopefully a number will catch the cycling bug - cycling is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and one of the few where we lead the world in performance terms - and be motivated to try out cycling in a junior club environment as a result.

For further information contact Ian Ford on 07764-146338

 

Horsham Youngster Awarded

for Community Spirit

A young volunteer has won an award for her hard work and dedication in helping other youngsters.
Collyer’s student Siobhan Hawes, 17 from Horsham has been volunteering at weekends and after college for Horsham District Council at local youth sporting events for the last eighteen months. Siobhan is a keen cyclist and, amongst other things, helped at the mountain bike club for 5-10 year olds, run by the Council.

Initially her main volunteer role was in supporting the new Horsham Youth Cycling Club, running at Forest School on Saturday mornings where she developed as a very capable and well respected deliverer. She also became British Cycling Young Leader trained and has also gained some competition officiating experience.

As well as being a keen cyclist, Siobhan has also led in other activities. She qualified as an urban rebound leader and has volunteered to assist at rounders taster sessions and on holiday excursions including activities such as climbing abseiling and archery.

Latterly she has progressed into some paid work as a support worker on the Council’s Aiming High programme of sports and arts for disabled children and is specifically involved in badminton, dance sessions and video production.
Siobhan was presented with an award for her hard work and dedication at the British Cycling Awards ceremony held at The Hilton in Birmingham on Thursday 26 February.

Speaking of Siobhan’s volunteer work, Ian Ford, Sports Development Officer at Horsham District Council, said: “Siobhan has shown herself to be a competent and reliable volunteer. She is polite, sensitive to people's needs, likeable and is building an excellent reputation within the team and with partners such as British Cycling. We have been really pleased with her outstanding efforts.”

There are many ways in which local residents help Horsham District Council through volunteering. People of all ages have been involved volunteering with Horsham District Council’s Leisure Link team and Siobhan is a shining example. Other activities that volunteers have been involved in include activities for disabled people, junior sports activities, health walks and older person’s activities. Currently Leisure Link works with around 100 volunteers a week across its programmes.

Other volunteers for the Council have been involved in the Horsham District Live Music Alliance, which was established ten years ago, and Blue Oasis, which is a club night for people with learning disabilities.

Horsham District Council also aims to support young people through offering work experience and projects, such as Horsham Children Can Do.

To find out more please visit www.horsham.gov.uk or email community.development@horsham.gov.uk

 

The Y Goes Ping

Residents of the Horsham Y Centre are enjoying the benefits of playing table tennis after coaches from Horsham District Council’s Leisure Link team ran a taster session and left equipment behind them on an ongoing loan basis.
 
15 young men and women took part in the early session which involved some starter coaching, a specialist robot, a stint of the popular game ‘runaround’ and matchplay. Some of the players had clearly played to a reasonable level before and quickly knocked off the rust of time to demonstrate real performance potential. At least one player is intending to visit Horsham Table Tennis Club at Greenway School to get back into the sport more seriously.

Learning and Engagement Support Officer at the Y Centre, Jason Roberts, was thrilled at the success of the evening which represents another piece of progress in the centre’s growing link with the Council’s community development team, saying “I’m really pleased about this project has started particularly as the residents took the initiative in requesting and promoting it. I expect the two tables we’ve now got will get plenty of use!” 

For further information contact Ian Ford on 01403-215634 or Ian.ford@horsham.gov.uk

 

Swim Spoils Shared

Northolmes Primary and Southwater Junior schools shared the honours in this year’s Horsham Area Primary Schools Swimming Gala contested by children from four schools in years 5 and 6 at the Pavilions pool.

Southwater got off to a flyer with a victory in the 25m freestyle and by the midway stage of the event lay five points ahead of Northolmes, a large part of the deficit being down to race 4, the 50m freestyle, which Southwater won and Northolmes came last in.

However the Roffey based school fought back strongly in the second half, winning three of the four races and coming second in the other to level the scores at 34-all and meaning the trophy will spend six months at each school before next year’s event.

Shelley School pipped Castlewood to third spot in a gala that was fun in a fair and enjoyable spirit as part of a partnership arrangement involving Horsham District Council’s Leisure Link team, Horsham Atlantis Swimming Club, the Central Sussex School Sports Partnership and DC Leisure.

For further information contact Ian Ford on 01403-215634 or Ian.ford@horsham.gov.uk

 

Back to the Future

Leisure Link has just welcomed two new Future Job employees into its ranks - Fred Bridges from Broadbridge Heath and Kimberly Roberts from Bewbush, Crawley.

Fred is already a familiar face having been both a volunteer and a casual payroll staff member, most notably as a cricket coach. Fred is also a member of the England Disability Cricket Team for which he specializes as a spin bowler.

Kimberly is a sports development graduate from Sunderland University and a football devotee being a Man Utd fan, an FA Level 1 Coach and a keen player.

 

Young Cyclists Explore Middlehill

Young cyclists from Horsham Youth Cycling Club recently made a visit to the Sea Scouts facility at Middlehill, a site lying between the Faygate roundabout and the village of Colgate.

The Sea Scouts have extensive plans to develop the site for mountain biking and 14 HYCC youngsters and some parents got their first adventurous taste of its features which include old bomb holes, a variety of challenging slopes and streams.

 The Sea Scouts are planning to work closely with British Cycling and the club in the coming months to develop and promote the facility further.

For more information contact Ian Ford 07764-146338 or Ian.ford@horsham.gov.uk

 

 

Outdoor TT Glee

Horsham Table Tennis Club has just received confirmation of a £8,000 Small Grant from Sport England that will allow it to invest in deploying a number of outdoor table tennis tables at strategic locations in the Horsham area. It is hoped that by allowing casual participation opportunities the tables will stimulate more interest in table tennis, especially in the lead up to the 2012 Olympics where TT has become one of the most watched sports.

The initiative follows in the footsteps of the English Table Tennis Association’s ‘Ping London’ project which was successfully piloted on a large scale last summer in the capital.

For further information about Horsham Table Tennis Club click here or contact Ian Ford 07764-146338 / Ian.ford@horsham.gov.uk