Author: Andrew Taylor
East Grinstead Sports Council Meeting – Thursday 30th September at 7.30pm – Virtual
Our next East Grinstead Sports Council meeting will be on Thursday 30th September at 7.30pm. We shall again be using the Zoom platform since virtual meetings seemed to be the popular option for the time being, when we discussed it last time.
1. Introductions and News – Bob Shelley
A chance to understand who is in attendance and to share some recent sports information and news.
2. School Sports Coordinator Funding
Steve Hill, one of our two local School Sports Coordinators, reported at the last meeting that funding for both SSCO roles was being reduced and would in future only support one day release a week from their teaching roles instead of two. This will directly impact their capacity to continue to run the excellent programme of sports and festivals for all of our local schools.
We will report on our attempt to influence this situation, which, without a solution, represents a diminution in commitment to the contribution of sport and physical activity at a crucial time in our young people’s lives.
3. Skateboarding Participation and Development
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games illustrated the shift of the Olympic movement in embracing new disciplines. This is aimed at broadening the Games’ appeal to the global audience and making them more relevant across all age groups. Until its inclusion skateboarding had deliberately been steering an anti mainstream policy.
We will be discussing some ideas for supporting the development of skateboarding locally and may be joined by Will Clark, who is involved in the development of the sport in the UK.
4. Any Other Business
Your chance to raise, share or discuss anything you want with our group, of a sporting nature.
Please contact bobshelley@btinternet.com for Zoom meeting details.
Protected: Newsletter 10/09/21
Protected: Newsletter 03/09/21
Protected: Newsletter 27/08/21
Protected: Newsletter 20/08/21
Protected: Newsletter 13/08/21
Protected: Newsletter 06/08/21
East Court Live is Back
Despite the rain, East Grinstead sang and danced to welcome live gigs back!
East Court Live, the three times free to enter concert, hosted by East Grinstead Town Council came back after 2 years. The events are held on the first Sunday of June July and August each year but the pandemic restrictions meant that last Sunday’s event was the first since 4 August 2019.
We wanted to have a big showcase event and the four bands who came to play had been slated to play at one of the three in 2020 or even earlier in 2021, Whereas the bands are usually smaller acts to start off, this line up of White Light, Flairz, Overdrive and The Skatonics were all capable of headlining a normal event, which meant people were dancing and having a great party from the off.
The weather forecast had predicted 10% of showers in the afternoon, but this changed during the day and the rain started as the first band hit the stage and carried on with little respite through to the end of the event. This didn’t stop the audience enjoying themselves. They danced and sang and raised their umbrellas in time with the music.
The event ended with a 15 minute Fireworks to Music spectacular, which had been held over from the 2020 VE day 75 commemorations. Because of the fireworks the whole schedule had a later start time of 5 o’clock so that it would be dark enough.
Chairman of the Amenities and Tourism Committee, Cllr Helen Farren said “It was just a great party. It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying themselves, after all these months of lockdown it was a way of saying, we’re back. For those who stayed all day in the rain, it just showcased the British Spirit and was brilliant to see”
The Town Council will now start planning the events for next summer, and hoping for better weather. East Court Live next year will return to an afternoon event finishing around 5pm.
