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Join us on Sports Day – and help a great cause

Raccoon Media Group are proud to be supporting Coach Core – the national charity that uses sports and apprenticeships to change young lives – in its inaugural Sports Day on 17 May 2023.

About the Sports Day

This exciting event will recreate all the best parts of the school sports day and will enable organisations to bring together their colleagues for a fun, inclusive afternoon of activity on the pitch at AFC Wimbledon’s ground.

Coach Core apprentices and celebrity coaches – including Jo Pavey, Suzanne Shaw, Jenni Falconer and Tom Bosworth – will ensure teams have the best chance of success as they compete to get their company’s name on the trophy.

Coach Core’s ethos is about levelling the playing field, so the event will be run to ensure every individual can and will contribute to their team’s success, whether they identify as “sporty” or not.

Following an afternoon of action-packed fun events, competitors will be invited to relax over drinks and a bite to eat.

Coach Core CEO Gary Laybourne said
“We’re celebrating 10 years and this inaugural Sports Day marks a step into the next chapter of the Coach Core story. We can’t wait to welcome teams to this amazing venue, introduce them to our wonderful apprentices and have them take part in a truly fun inclusive and engaging event where every colleague and every score counts!  We have a number of famous faces at each activity and our incredible community coaching apprentices will captain each team as we look to fundraise and support those future apprentices that will follow in their footsteps.”

To find out more, and enter a team, please visit www.coachcoresportsday.com

Activities

Each team will rotate around 8 stations of activities, comprising the following:

  • Sack Race
  • Tennis Challenge
  • Football Target
  • Frisbee Challenge
  • Bean Bag Toss
  • Skipping Rope Challenge
  • Egg and Spoon Race
  • Surprise Activity

There will also be a number of individual challenges to take part in throughout the day.

Celebrity Coaches

Jo Pavey – Jo has been ranked European number one on numerous occasions at various distances between 2004 & 2014 and has also ranked in the world’s top 3 in 2004 & 2007. Jo is the oldest European Champion in history and the only British runner to have competed in five OLY Games. She set the European Record 2 miles indoors 2004, Commonwealth Record 3000m indoors 2004 & 2007. Jo also holds a number of masters world records including 5000m, 10000m and 10 miles. Jo’s book, This Mum Runs, was shortlisted for the Cross Sports National Book Awards – autobiography of the year.

Tom Bosworth – Two-time OLY race walker and triple world record holder, Tom Bosworth was also Captain of England Athletics for the 2018 Commonwealth Games where he secured a silver medal. In 2015, Tom became the first openly gay track and field athlete representing TeamGB and has since campaigned for equality and inclusivity for the LGBT community. He is also a champion of mental well-being in sport following his own battle with depression. Tom has appeared on Eurosport and the BBC, and has also featured on ITV’s the Celebrity Chase. In 2022, the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham marked Tom’s last international race appearance and he crossed the line to standing ovation from 27,000 people.

Suzanne Shaw – Singer and actress Suzanne Shaw is the founder of The Happy Health Club. After a 20-year battle with anxiety and depression and an inconsistent relationship to food, alcohol and fitness, Suzanne decided enough was enough and went on a mission to create and lead a sustainable happier, healthier lifestyle. Instead of focusing on how to find happiness aesthetically, Suzanne focused on creating a lifestyle that would improve her mental and physical health, give her lots energy and confidence whilst enjoying the process.

Jenni Falconer – TV and radio presenter Jenni Falconer ran her first marathon in 2009 and was clearly bitten by the running bug as she is now training for her 9th marathon. Running is a true passion, which is why she created the “run club of the podcast world”, RunPod, where runners unite and chat about that feel-good effect. Guests vary weekly, from OLY to actors and fellow presenters (and many more),  all with incredible stories to tell and a passion for all things running related.

Rosie Tapner – After gracing the front cover of Vogue at the age of 16, Rosie worked as a top model for 10 years before turning her attentions to TV presenting in the equestrian sphere, where her real passion lies. Recently she has presented in the UK for some of the biggest names including Sky Sports Racing, Ascot, Goodwood, Cheltenham and Aintree, as well as abroad in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. She also be presented the main stage at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations at Epsom Racecourse attended by HM The Queen, and the Breeders Cup in Kentucky.

3 months until The National Cycling Show returns to the NEC – bigger and better!

It’s only 3 months until The National Cycling Show brought to you by V12 Retail Finance, hits the NEC, Birmingham from the 17-18 June 2023.

With Spring in the air and the cycling season about to hit the road, trail or track we wanted to let you know about the latest from the National Cycling Show. Thousands of cycling enthusiasts are expected to visit the two day event, packed full of features, leading athletes and speakers alongside the latest cycling products and brands.

The show is a one stop event for cycling enthusiasts, people looking to take their first pedal in the sport, cycle commuters, athletes and leisure riders. OLY Sir Chris Hoy and Ed Clancy OBE are just two of the leading athletes who will be talking about cycling’s latest issues on The Road and Track Stage sponsored by Freewheel Holidays plus Kriss Kyle joining us on the MTB, BMX and Gravel Stage. There are amazing retail opportunities to shop the latest gear, tech, bikes and accessories.

Our hosts Rebecca Charlton, Anna Glowinski and Jez Cox will be chatting to athletes, speakers, ambassadors and influencers about their cycling experiences, inspiring all of us to have our own cycling adventures. 

The varied, fun and interactive features include a meet and greet zone, Fusion Freestyle Performances by Fusion Extreme, The Bike Clinic by Spokes People, Cytech and Rehook, Wheels for All Hub, Bikepacking and Adventure Biking Zone, Coaching and Training Zone by Rowe and King, Brand Showcase Alley sponsored by SIS and a Her Spirit Strength Zone.

Leading brands are attending the show and exhibiting the latest products for a Summer of riding. Get hands on and buy from brands including Atherton Racing, Marin, Yeti, Niner, Shand, Shark e-bikes, Wheelbase, Fenwick’s, Huffy, Niner, Vaast, ARCC, Forestal, Reilly Cycleworks, Campagnolo Clothing and SIS.

Whether you are passionate about Mountain Biking, Gravel, Road Riding, Cycle Commuting or riding with your children, the show has something for everyone and with day tickets costing only £10pp you get all this for the price of 2 innertubes. 

For more information go to https://nationalcyclingshow.com/plan-your-visit-and-faqs or to get your ticket head to https://nationalcyclingshow.com/ 

#CyclingShow

The National Cycling Show takes place on the 17 – 18 June 2023 at the NEC, Birmingham with 1 day tickets costing only £10 PP and Weekend passes for £18 PP.

Sporting Insights data suggest cycling spend may hold up better than other sectors

Leisure spending may hold up better than expected among active Brits. This is the conclusion of a new report by Sporting Insights (formerly Sports Marketing Surveys Inc.), available for immediate purchase.

The study confirms suspicions that general spending will, and indeed already is, beginning to be constrained. However, data suggests almost half of people are not, or at least not yet, considering changing expenditure concerning leisure activities.

This resilience, which is even more marked in some specific cycling categories than others, would be excellent news for both the cycling and wider sports industry and chimes with findings from throughout the pandemic that showed people according greater importance to active habits and products.

In fact, the research highlights how, in certain cases, spending on leisure items may actually help ease financial pressures. Overall, the trend in car usage was for drivers to shift towards driving less compared to 2021, this despite a general shift back towards offices or hybrid working. Meanwhile, around 40% of people cycled more in 2022 than in 2021.

Together, the responses indicate a rise in active transport use among one of the more active sectors of society.

The report, available for £250 + VAT, is designed to highlight how people’s day-to-day transport choices have shifted in 2022, how purchase habits are evolving at the dawn of the cost of living crisis – including on key sectors like sporting holidays – and how cycling is perceived more generally.

The data is based on a robust sample of almost 4,000 respondents with an interest in outdoor sports including cycling and running. Responses from active people across the UK were sought, with 64% of respondents taking part in over 150 minutes of exercise each week and 34% taking part in 30-150 minutes.