Coleg Gwent’s Crosskeys campus has been recognised for its commitment in promoting sport in the community.
The campus has been granted Leadership Academy status by qualifications body Sports Leaders UK.
Students at Crosskeys can do Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications with Sports Leaders UK and are taught how to plan and organise sports sessions and events. Students then work with the local community to help coordinate sporting activities.
Coleg Gwent is one of 40 organisations across the UK to achieve academy status.
Scott Jarvis, aged 18, from Risca, said: “I achieved the Level 1 Award in Sports Leadership last year and thought it was good and this year will achieve my Level 2 Award in Community Sports Leadership.
“This has been brilliant because I have been able to do lots of voluntary work including leading sports sessions at my old Comprehensive school, refereeing year five and six football matches and helping at a disability rugby festival. I would love to do this as a career.”
Currently in its sixth year of operation, the Sports Leadership Centre at Coleg Gwent has more than 50 students studying towards qualifications in sports leadership. It is now recognised as a beacon of good practice that not only benefits the learners involved but also has a positive impact on the local community.
Mererid Dark, the Sports Leadership Centre course manager at Coleg Gwent said: “I am really proud of all our students, it is an incredibly rewarding experience to see young people take control of their lives. Many students arrive with a lack of confidence and have never taken charge of a group of youngsters, but within a year they are running their own sport sessions and looking to start a career in the industry.
“We continually aim to raise standards and develop individuals, but the academy status is down to the hard work that students put in.”
Students currently work with Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Newport councils as well as schools on projects including Sports Caerphilly Disability swimming galas, rugby tournaments and multi sport activity sessions.
Rob Guy, Foundation Manager for Wales Sports Leaders UK, said: “The staff at Coleg Gwent have really embedded the ethos of leadership into their work and have gone the extra mile in terms of delivery and excellence. Academy status is something that all centres should strive for, and Coleg Gwent will be showcased as a model of best practice to follow.”