School club success

British Weight Lifting are delighted to have feedback on the outcome of a successful funding bid. Paul Lane, who has completed his BWL Level 1 Award in Coaching Weightlifting, came to BWL's Regional Relationship Manager in the North Tom Wilkinson asking for help with supporting a bid to set up a club for his school, Coop Academy Swinton, Salford.

"We received a £10,000 lottery grant last year which enabled us to purchase flooring, bars and weights and it was our mission to roll out weightlifting to all our 830 students from years 7-11. BWL have been a great help in supporting our bid, advising on the creation of the gym and the training of staff. We have been successful in re-purposing an old design technology room which is sturdy and spacious and can accommodate a class a of up to 30 students at a time so pupils can now get weightlifting classes within their scheduled PE lessons led by BWL certified PE teachers.

We also offer an extra-curricular club which is well attended and weightlifting has been a good addition to our after school clubs and attracts a good mix of students, boys and girls have committed for a variety of reasons and many have not previously engaged with our other after school activities so it’s been great to cater for a more diverse mix. Weightlifting has also remained on the curriculum throughout lock down, the activity is taught in bubbles to our students of key workers, I have found it’s been easy to follow guidelines as the cleaning and sterilisation of space and equipment between bubbles has become second nature to us.  

'When we get back to normal' has become a common phrase but when we do hope weightlifting clubs will fully resume and we will be preparing our students for intra-competitions and when we and the world is ready once again our students will be competing at the highest level."

BWL want to say a big well done to Paul for his hard work and pro-active approach in encouraging young people to pick up weightlifting.