BF STARTS 5-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH KICKSTART

Manchester-based multi-sport activity provider has signed a partnership with British Fencing to deliver personal development.

Kickstart has signed a 5-year agreement with British Fencing (BF), joining BF’s Licensed Partner Programme as Primary School Resource Pack deliverer.

The company based in Manchester will receive training, resources and support from BF to deliver this Ofsted-aligned self-development programme aimed at primary school-aged children, but also successfully applied by BF partners to students as old as 14. Kickstart will now be able to provide new fencing experiences to participants that already enjoy their diverse sports offer that includes tennis, skateboarding, lacrosse, boxing, dance, gymnastics, and more.

Luke Gidion, Head of Operations at Kickstart says, “Kickstart are excited to enter this 5-year partnership with BF as this will allow us to deliver a new and diverse offer to our partner schools.  Through partnerships with schools we provide children with equal opportunities to experience new sports and learn new skills and we look forward to BF playing a critical role in this journey.  The support delivered by BF in this partnership, we believe will assist our pursuit of providing the highest standard of physical education and sport for schools and children.  Our shared value for partnerships has helped establish a strong foundation for a long-standing relationship.  We believe this newfound partnership with BF will bring a new chapter in Kickstart’s journey and we cannot wait to begin enriching children’s knowledge and skills”.

James Craig, Head of Commercial at BF says, “We’re delighted to start this 5-year journey with Kickstart. They have already started their onboarding training and the feedback so far has been excellent. Kickstart’s focus on quality, paired with their belief in what BF can offer them and their network of schools as a business makes them an ideal partner. Their delivery of fencing has the potential to transform young people’s experience of PE but this is only part of an even bigger picture. By delivering BF’s personal development programme, Kickstart ensures a whole school sport agenda that goes beyond PE, school sport and physical activity (PESSPA) related outcomes.”

About BF and the Licensed Partner Programme

BF is the National Governing Body for the sport of fencing in the UK. The Licensed Partner Programme (LPP) encompasses a family of partners that deliver fencing in community and educational settings across the UK.

The Primary School Resource Pack (PSRP) is a researched and field-tested personal development programme. The bank of 36 Ofsted-aligned lesson plans follows BF’s philosophy around a participant’s journey in the sport of fencing. The lessons also connect with the BF Achievement Awards of ‘MiniSwords’ (foam delivery aimed at 5-7 year olds) and ‘Go/Fence’ (plastic delivery aimed at 8+).

Partners with access to the PSRP attend up to three days’ rigorous training that provides underpinning insight and knowledge into how to use games and swordplay fun to introduce fencing to primary school children. The training also explores how to use the resources effectively to develop the young participant’s resilience and self-efficacy.

The resource pack has been developed and road-tested for two academic years and provides schools with a route to engage young people even if they don’t identify as ‘sporty’. James Craig, Head of Commercial with BF says, “We know fencing is a great tool to combat the notion of ‘sporty’ versus ‘non-sporty’ and we look forward to working with all our delivery partners to evidence this more widely.”

About Kickstart

Kickstart is an established, community driven social enterprise, working closely with Schools, Academy Trusts, Local Authorities and Housing Associations to offer a diverse bespoke service to its customers.

The Company focuses on providing high-quality Sport, Childcare and Education support services to schools through its well trained and skilled team of practitioners.  As an education partner, Kickstart supports schools by helping them develop and implement a bespoke, high-quality Curriculum that meets the needs of their children.  Part of this unique offer includes supporting the development of Leadership and teaching staff so that knowledge and skills are embedded into the teaching and learning of this important subject.  In addition to providing schools with the tools to prepare effectively for Ofsted inspections, Kickstart influence cultural change so that mental and physical wellbeing is placed at the heart of the school.  In addition to supporting the strategic element of PE, Kickstart provide outstanding PE delivery through PPA support and a bespoke CPD offer that meets the needs of the school and the improvement plan.

Kickstart also offers early intervention support and runs family clubs that help to promote key skills and support our approach to lifelong learning. They work with other organisations and stakeholders to ensure that their education programmes and courses are tailored to meet the needs of schools, and bespoke to meet the needs of students, whilst providing clear links to other areas of learning.

Kickstart provides a first-class childcare service with nurturing home from home environment for all children.  Each child is different, and this is reflected in Kickstart’s approach to childcare as they go above and beyond to meet the needs of all families to ensure high quality childcare.

Kickstart were the winners of the 2021 Maureen Clunan Be Proud Award for the Best Social Enterprise and the 2021 Fred Jones Be Proud Award for Best Project, after developing a new Community Hub in Salford, Greater Manchester.