Hundres of primary school pupils from across South Gloucestershire took part in the area's biggest sporting festival of the year.
Olympic Gold Medallist Jason Gardener MBE, Jo Sargent former GB Basktball player and Commonwealth games medallist and Ryan Scott who was a member of the gold medal-winning GB 4x100m relay team at the U23 world championships joined more than 600 young sports stars across South Gloucestershire for their very own district-wide "mini-Olympics" – the Festival of Youth Sport. Filton College’s WISE campus played host to the festival which is part of a partnership programme between South Gloucestershire Council and Airbus. The event has been so successful over the last seven years that it has established itself as a key event for schools and sports clubs across the district.
The festival, which is sponsored each year by Airbus and organised by South Gloucestershire Council has firmly established itself as a key event for schools and sports clubs across the district since its launch in 2002.
This year, the event is also supporting the UK School Games community development programme, which is encouraging youth sport in the lead up to the 2012 Olympics. As a UK School Games ambassador, Olympic sprint star Jason Gardener MBE was present to give advice to the young athletes. Great Britain’s Basketball hero Jo Sarjant was also there on behalf of Sporting Champions organisation.
68 primary, junior and special schools in the district took part in the spring festival this year. While over the past seven years 21,000 children have already benefited from coaching since the festivals launched and around 6,500 have gone on to take part in the Festival of Youth Sport tournaments.
The festival aims to introduce young people of all abilities to sport and exercise. As well as having a fun day, coaches encourage the pupils to participate in the events and teach them new skills, in the hope that they will join local sports clubs. In the run up to the festivals the young athletes have been receiving training and coaching in a variety of sports which is provided by the Council’s community sport and active lifestyles department and funded by Airbus.
Due to the high demand, two festivals are now held each year, in the spring and summer. The summer festival is taking place on Saturday 21 June, at the Yate Outdoor Sports Centre (YOSC), near Yate, from 9am until 1pm.
Kim Hazeldine, the head of community sport and active lifestyles at the council, said: "The Festival of Youth Sport is a great opportunity for youngsters to take part in a range of sporting events and activities. We hope it will inspire them to be the best they can be. The Council is very committed to increasing participation in sport and physical activity and promoting healthy lifestyles and we’re delighted that Airbus is sponsoring the event once again."
Keen sportsman and representative of sponsors Airbus in the UK, Chris Sparkes, said: "I am delighted that we have been able to sponsor this programme of sports coaching as well as the spring and summer competitions again. The Spring festival has been a fantastic success and credit must be given to those who have helped to make the event what it is as well as all the hard work put in by the young people."
Jason Gardener said: "With the UK School Games coming to Bristol and Bath at the end of August it is vitally important that efforts continue to provide young people with opportunities to take part in sport, as well as compete against other young people and experience what it means to be part of the sporting environment of the West of England area.
"The first of this year’s South Gloucestershire Festival of Youth Sport provided an excellent opportunity to do this and they are an integral part of the ever developing school sports programme in the West of England."
Case Study
Emily Fitzhugh has gone from the Festival of Youth Sport to winning a national championship. One of her first sporting event was participating in the festival when she was a year five pupil.
Emily, now aged 14, from Chipping Sodbury, won the English Athletics National Indoor under 15 girls 800 metres title in February this year.
After taking part in the festival Emily joined Yate and District Athletic Club, where she progressed to the middle-distance running group coached by Alan Thomas – who was awarded with the best participation coach in the South west award by England Athletics last year – and has been competing ever since.
Emily currently tops the UK under-15s girl’s 800metres rankings
Sporting Champions brings world-class athletes face to face with people aged up to 25 to inspire participation in community sport. Over 100 athletes from 50 sports, ranging from Olympic hopefuls to Paralympics heroes, take part. For more information visit www.sportingchampions.org.uk