ABOUT THE ALLIANCE:
The Mount Pearl Sport Alliance was incorporated in 1995 to develop and strengthen a collaborative approach for the delivery of sport, which would provide opportunities for participation and the maximum use of facilities and resources.
The rationale for the establishment of the Alliance; the fundamental objectives approved by the Alliance member clubs and associations; the mission statement and objectives; the guiding principles for the Mount Pearl Sport Alliance and our constitution are enclosed for your information.
The Alliance model has two major components; community centered sport and partnerships.
COMMUNITY CENTERED SPORT:
Though elite sport grabs most of the headlines, the vast majority of athletes do not, and never will, compete at this level. Most sport occurs at the community level, whether schools, clubs, minor organizations or recreational programs. Community centered sport recognizes that it is not appropriate to push an elite national model of sport down into the community. The goal of community centered sport is to provide broad opportunities for participation to the greatest number of people. This is generally accomplished when all community groups, including elite athletes and clubs, work collaboratively to make use of facilities and resources.
PARTNERSHIPS:
The idea of forming partnerships is nothing new to the sports community, where there is a tradition of groups and individuals working together to, for example, sponsor an event, or share a facility. What has begun to happen in many sectors and is especially applicable to sport is two things: A) innovative partnerships are being formed between non-traditional partners, and B) partnerships are becoming longer-term arrangements.
The idea of a partnership is to make maximum use of the resources (both physical and intellectual) which each partner has to offer, thus making even greater strides as a group with common goals than would ever be possible as individual operators.
ADVANTAGES:
- The financial benefits are indisputable, resulting from less duplication of efforts and the optional use of existing resources.
- Having the capability to take advantage of opportunities that may be too big or complex for a single organization becomes a reality through partnerships.
- The increase in credibility and visibility that occurs when people and organizations are united in a common cause is very powerful
- The advantages of an expanded delivery system are many resulting in more opportunities to meet increasingly diverse needs of communities.
M.O.U.
The Alliance has a very important responsibility of being the spokesperson for all the member clubs and associations in our discussions with Council. We represent all of these members and this process is most important as we work with the Council on a five-year M.O.U. This M.O.U provides the Alliance Executive and the Recreation Committee of Council, made up of two Councilors and the Director of the Parks and Community Services, with the opportunity to meet four times each year to discuss and update concerns and needs in Sport and Recreation.
The M.O.U. is a very important cornerstone in the Alliance structure. All the members sign on to the M.O.U. after negotiations and discussions. It is a well thought out document that represents the progressive thinking of the member clubs and Council!