May 3 2013.
When Newhaven resident Amanda Wilkins finished her role as a Gamesmaker at the London 2012 Olympics, she felt there was a hole in her life, as it had taken up most of the year when you counted the test event, the training sessions and the Olympic Games where she worked as a Flash Quote Reporter at Wimbledon. So Amanda decided to go on and qualify as a Sportsmaker, which is a spin-off to the Gamesmaker scheme to allow Olympic Volunteers to go on volunteering. She also qualified as a Walk for Health Walk Leader.
At her Sportsmaker induction course Amanda pledged to Make Sport Happen in her local community and get people back into sport, and that is what she has done.
As well as working as a volunteer at Brighton Half and Full Marathons, Amanda has set up a Make Sport Happen initiative in Newhaven, offering free sport for the community.
Her initiative has won the backing of Newhaven Town Council who have given her a £50 grant to enable her to get the sporting equipment she needed to run various taster events.
Amanda is planning an event once a month and the first is a healthy walk and family picnic this bank holiday weekend on Monday, May the 6th. Anyone of any age can go along free of charge and all they need to bring is their own picnic lunch and drink and to wear flat shoes. Meet on Huggetts Green on the West Quay at 11.30am and walk to the beach and back - a flat route that lasts about an hour. This can be adapted to suit the walkers and mums with buggies and children are also welcome, as are dogs on leads.
The second event is a bit of fun for the adults. At the Newhaven Fish Festival on Saturday June the 8th, Amanda is running an Old Fashioned Sports Day for adults, so they can relive their youth. There will be a sack race, egg and spoon race, three legged race and space hopper race, so go along and have a go.
You can contact Amanda on 07883 464447 or e-mail her
ona.wilkins560@btinternet.com If you would like Amanda to arrange a sporting event for you, she can organise rounders, netball, another sports day, or a walk and it is all free.
Thanks to Newhaven Town Council and Active Sussex for support of this programme.