The BJA North West Area Committee are delighted to have approval from Sport England for their recent bid for grant funding for strategic workforce development within the area.

A successful bid for a total of £8,525 will help them prioritise applications and allocate fully funded places to key volunteers who once trained will be able to contribute to the long-term delivery and sustainability of judo in both the competitive and coaching aspects of the sport within the North West Area.

There is an opportunity for training and qualifying the right people in each of the following disciplines: Refereeing, Officiating, Examining, BJA Instructors Awards, UKCC Level1 and UKCC Level 2 together with fully funded first aid courses.

 The committee are still to decide the exact application and decision process but it will be preferable whilst not wholly binding for applicants to fit at least one of the following criteria:

        – Have represented the Area in one or more fields

        – Commit to contributing to the running of future competitions / gradings etc

        – Contribute to the coaching & development of players in NW Area Club environments

British Judo’s North West Development Officer Dave Duffy said: “This is a significant step forward for the Area’s development plans and opens up opportunities for judoka in the region.”

Any player wishing to be included in any of the training courses that will be offered should register their Name (and Club) with the Area Secretary Mike Boote via mike.boote@gmail.com indicating which particular course they are interested in.