§ Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for members of the National Experience Corps to contribute to the delivery of sport in schools.[12227]
§ Angela EagleThe Experience Corps initiative aims to encourage more people aged 50 and over to become or to remain active in their local communities. It is hoped that those who volunteer through the Experience Corps will be able to participate in a wide range of volunteering opportunities.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) with the assistance of funding from the Active Community Unit is undertaking a programme for the training of volunteers in sport. The aim is to train 50,000 volunteers, of which around 8,000 will be older people, during the two year programme, which starts in April 2002. The aim is to target schoolchildren from 14 years of age with older volunteers providing mentoring and support to them. The DCMS is discussing with the Experience Corps how its work might link in with its own programme.