THE need to pay close attention to the grass roots has been identified in recent years as vital to the long-term sporting health and success of the nation.

With membership of sports clubs falling, the task of encouraging young people to get involved and stay interested is the responsibility of Sport England.

The organisation has responded by setting up Active Sports, a five-year development programme targeting nine sports - athletics, basketball, cricket, girls' football, hockey, netball, rugby union, swimming and tennis.

At the cutting edge, working closely with local clubs to develop training programmes and improve standards, are 45 sports partnerships covering the whole country.

One is Teesside Sport, based at the University of Teesside in Middlesbrough. It's partners are the four local authorities - Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough and Stockton borough councils - further and higher education, Sport England, the national governing bodies for sport and the National Coaching Foundation.

The partnership has received a lottery sports fund award of £874,789 to help develop Teesside's first four Active Sports - tennis, cricket, basketball and netball.

Plans for rugby and swimming will be submitted by the end of the year, which if successful will trigger a further £175,000 of lottery funding. It is also hoped to include hockey in the programme in 2002.

The Teesside Sport office is currently manned by five staff - Active Sports manager Jean Lordon, club and coach development officer Richard Pickersgill, basketball co-ordinator Emma Coleby, netball co-ordinator Heather Newman and administrator Dawn Kirk.

Their aim is to provide support for existing clubs in the area to help them encourage more young people to become involved in sport. They hope to do this by increasing and improving coaching opportunities and making access to sports easier.

As part of the drive to raise standards, a programme of weekly coaching sessions and coach education courses has been organised at various venues around the area.

Miss Lordon said: "We can develop clubs by supporting coaches or helping to get a junior section going and we are also looking at groups who are under represented in sport, such as girls, ethnic minorities and the disabled."

Subjects covered by the coaching courses include good practice and child protection and coaching disabled performers.

A programme of workshops will also provide advice on issues such as managing volunteers and accessing funding and sponsorship.

Although a lot of work needs to be done, progress has already been made.

Miss Lordon added: "We have had some success in getting a broad range of people together to talk about things. Clubs are working with local authorities, which doesn't always happen."

The Teesside Youth Games, which took place in the summer, was also successful in raising the profile of sport and celebrating the talent and spirit of young people.

Miss Lordon also emphasised the importance of building links between schools and clubs as young people are often not sure where to go to continue sporting activities out of school hours.

The Teesside Sport staff, as you might expect, are not content to sit behind a desk all day. They are active in the community, with a large part of their working week spent visiting schools and clubs.

Nevertheless, one of the main stumbling blocks they have come across so far is that not enough people are aware of their existence and the work they do.

Miss Lordon said: "We feel we need wider publicity now. Even many schools have not heard of Teesside Sport and it's often difficult getting to our target audience."

She stressed that many good sporting facilities and practices were already in place locally, but accessing them was often too hit and miss. What is needed is greater consistency across the area, with opportunities for youngsters to get involved in sport less open to chance.

Another challenge for Teesside Sport is to introduce an appropriate level of competition for whatever stage of development people have reached.

For instance, a lack of junior leagues has often meant young people or beginners have been denied the opportunity to compete against those of a similar standard. As a result, they can become disheartened and drift away from the sport.

Miss Lordon said: "The base is too narrow. Without giving people a fair opportunity you won't get the best talent coming through."

That is the challenge which the Teesside Sport staff are working to address - to create the best conditions possible for young people of all abilities to enjoy sport as well as to nurture those with the potential to become sporting stars of the future.

Any individuals or clubs who would like to know more about Teesside Sport can contact them on 01642 342287.