Project earns London 2012 award

OLDHAM Council is celebrating a major coup. Its Hands On project has been granted the London 2012 Inspire mark — the badge of the programme which recognises exceptional and innovative projects inspired by the 2012 Olympic Games.

The council’s Integrated Youth Service sports development team, working in association with local handball club NEM Hawks, is promoting the sport in several primary schools.

Players from the club, some of whom have already had international recognition at age-group levels, talk to pupils about their experiences at a special assembly and then join coaches to introduce the youngsters to the fast-flowing indoor sport.

Seb Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games said: “Hands On is encouraging local schoolchildren to fulfil their potential.

“I am proud that with the help of partners such as Oldham Council and the NEM Hawks club, we are delivering our vision to use the power of the Games to boost participation in handball.”

Handball could be one of the major legacy sports for Great Britain post-London 2012 and is already proving popular in several local secondary schools. It is the biggest participation sport in the world for women and second-biggest for men, hugely popular on mainland Europe, with professional leagues playing matches in front of thousands of fans.

Any schools wanting to join the Hands On project should contact sports development officer Anna Shiels on 0161-770 1635.