Giving back programme to develop more community leaders and physical activity
Posted on: 25th Mar 2022
Adult Education 
Ignite Training is embarking on a double giving back scheme for schools, businesses and sports clubs – by providing vital equipment and adult education programmes for free.
The registered training provider has partnered with City of Oxford College to offer fully funded courses for people aged 19 or older. The programmes educate learners on how to structure engaging and challenging sessions for participants. And in a further boost to the community, it is providing sports equipment to each school or sports club that it delivers training for.
No previous experience or qualifications are required to enrol onto the courses, which are suitable for people interested in developing their coaching, wellbeing or school sport knowledge. Graduates will receive a Level 2 qualification in Leading Health Related Activities and be able to organise and deliver sessions in a variety of settings. Clubs that have previously benefitted from the programmes include New Marston School, Willowcroft School, Chinnor Kites Rugby and Thame United FC.
Justin Merritt, Ignite Training CEO, said: “Inspiring people to be active and lead healthy lifestyles is a key part of our philosophy and is what is behind this giving back initiative.
“This is a great opportunity for sports clubs, schools and businesses to upskill staff or participants via an industry recognised qualification at no expense. By committing thousands of pounds of sports equipment to organisations which embrace our free courses, we hope we can develop more coaches and help inspire more people to get active.
“If you’re interested in taking the first step into coaching or becoming an activity and wellness champion within your workplace, we would love to hear from you.”
The courses are delivered using a mix of face-to-face and online sessions with each programme taking between four to six weeks to complete. They are free to access to anyone living in Oxfordshire, Berkshire or Surrey and can be completed in the learners’ own time.
The qualification can be achieved via multiple course pathways including Player Parent, Workplace Wellbeing, Active Wellbeing, Step Up in Coaching and School Sport and PE. Each course can be tailored to suit the participant’s need so information learnt can be applied to multiple settings.
Oxford based Jonathan Ward recently graduated from Ignite Training’s Step Up in Coaching programme after deciding he wanted to enhance his session delivery skills.
The 52-year-old is Managing Director at a construction firm by day but dedicates his Thursday evenings and weekends to coaching Cumnor Minors U15s girls’ team – who his daughter represents.
“The programme really made me think about coaching and how to plan and prepare sessions that are suitable for different age groups at different times of year,” said Jonathan. “The golden nuggets of information I picked up along the way were invaluable and helped me put my own spin on training sessions.
“The Ignite team were fantastic delivering the course, I’d advise anyone looking to develop their coaching skills to enrol – you’ve got nothing to lose and a lot to gain.”
Further information about Ignite Training’s free adult education courses is available via its website Adult Learning Short Courses & Apprenticeships | Ignite Training (ignitetraininguk.com).
Alternatively, email Business Development Manager Sorcha Murphy via s.murphy@ignitesportuk.com if you’d like to enrol onto a course and receive free sports equipment when graduating.
