YOUNG sportsmen and women at York schools will soon be able to raise their game - thanks to a pioneering scheme at the University of York.

More than 50 students and staff at the university are expected to gain recognised coaching skills through a Sports Volunteering Programme.

The initiative is funded by a £5,000 grant from the Active Community Fund and follows a successful pilot scheme at a York school.

Last summer, pupils aged between nine and 11 at Lord Deramore's Primary School, in Heslington, received coaching from members of the university cricket club.

Now fresh volunteers can gain qualifications in tennis, hockey, men's and women's rugby and cricket. Organisers hope that netball, basketball and swimming coaching will also be made available.

Athletic Union president Brendan O'Donovan said the cash would be used to fund the training courses, purchase equipment and cover transport costs for volunteers to schools in the York area.

He said: "This is a great opportunity for members of the university to get involved with the York community.

"It gives them the chance to gain skills and encourages young people at York schools to participate in sport and activities that they might not normally try. The 16 coaches who too part in the pilot project felt that the experience was fun, very rewarding and with the added benefit of improving the levels of expertise within their club."

Lord Deramore's Year Six teacher, Suzie McKenna, said the cricket coaching had given pupils a taste of specific skills and teamwork activities.

She said: "The volunteers were very good, they motivated the children to be more interested in the sport and gave us access to specialist coaching which sometimes we can't offer."

Robert Partridge, who is managing the University's Active Community Budget, said the fund aimed to support activities that encouraged integration between the university and the York community.

He said: "The emphasis is on trying to identify needs within the local community and one of the great needs is to provide more incentives for people to engage in sport."

Updated: 10:25 Wednesday, November 13, 2002