15 February 2011

The eyes of the athletics world were on the Aviva Indoor UK Trials and Championships last weekend, but off the track, Sheffield was also playing host to the launch of an exciting new development project as UKA’s Youth Advisory Group (YAG), which has been established by the governing body to improve the experience that young people receive in athletics, met for the first time on Sunday.

As part of UKA’s commitment to developing a vibrant, attractive and sustainable sport that reflects the needs of all participants through to London 2012 and beyond, the YAG has been created to work with the organisation to shape the future direction of the sport. The group will initially work closely with UKA staff to provide guidance on projects across all sectors, which will contribute to an improved service for young people within athletics, regardless of their role or level of involvement.

Following an overwhelming number of applications, 14 young people (aged 16-25) have been selected. The members, selected for their skills, knowledge and understanding of athletics, are drawn from all corners of the UK, and represent coaches, officials, volunteers and administrators.

The inaugural gathering saw the group working together to create their identity, set targets and explore potential projects for the year ahead.

UKA representative Stuart Attwell commented:

“The YAG is a fantastic opportunity for UKA to work with young people to improve the quality of services, resources and events that we provide, and will ensure that we meet the needs of young people as effectively as possible. We believe that the YAG will add value to our existing leadership and volunteering projects, and enable us to continually improve the way in which we recruit, retain and develop young people within the sport.”

To read more about the members of the YAG, sign up to receive the March edition of E-Inspire, UKA’s bi-monthly online magazine.