With the FA Trophy final at Wembley this week, sport is high on the agenda. 
Last Saturday I opened the all-weather, multi-use sports area at the Cookley playing fields. These playing fields are among the most beautiful in the country and must tempt the uninvolved fielder to let his eye wander from the batsman occasionally. This development is an example of how to improve a facility, not with an unachievable big bang, but by repeated smaller improvements. Their new changing rooms have now been followed by this multi-use pitch, ideal for limited team football and suitable for tennis for enjoyment as the surface is too soft for competition. The organising committee are to be congratulated for their tremendous efforts.

The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games provide an uplifting impetus and direction for the entire sports system. 
I met the Chief Executive of 'sports coach UK', set up to improve sports performance and participation by developing a world class coaching system across the UK. 
He plans four stages of trained coaches – 

• children's coaches for the very young to encourage interest in sport and to acquire a wide range of skills, 
• coaches for the talented in their early teens, 
• coaches for very high performers and fourth, of crucial importance, 
• participation coaches. 
  These would encourage young people who enjoy sport but are not immediately spotted as talented, and ensure their full participation in sports with chances to improve which at the moment they may miss and then lose interest falling back into a sedentary life style. 

The plans are exciting and ambitious – one million skilled coaches for all stages by 2016 of whom about 75% would be volunteers. He was at pains to acknowledge the huge numbers of skilled volunteers that we already have and that they would form the foundation for his work. I know of the superb work done with young people locally by members of many of our sports clubs including the Harriers.

I visited Windmill First School and was pleased to hear that so far the developments for the new Primary School are on target. 
This will combine the First and Middle Schools with Areley Kings First School. Mrs Wilcox, the head teacher and the acting head of the Middle School with their staff provide an excellent team to ensure continuity and co-operation to make the best of the combined premises with facilities that will be first class.

The privilege of independence was highlighted yesterday. 
The divisions were on Opposition Motions proposed by the Liberal Democrats. 

• The first on climate change was to me idealistic rather than practicable so I did not support it. 
• The second pointed out the under funding of Mental Health Services. This I supported and was again surprised that only a few Conservative members joined the 'aye' lobby. 
  Conservative Whips appear unwilling to support anything emanating from the Liberal Democrats.