Lancashire school games finale goes virtual

Lancashire's youngsters are taking their sporting prowess to a new, virtual level
Some of the sporting youngsters before lockdown getting ready for the Spar Lancashire School Games finalSome of the sporting youngsters before lockdown getting ready for the Spar Lancashire School Games final
Some of the sporting youngsters before lockdown getting ready for the Spar Lancashire School Games final

For while the Covid-19 crisis may have put paid to the Lancashire Spar School Games , the grande finale is set to go ahead - online.

Knockout events for the annual competition had been taking place at primary and secondary schools before lockdown in March but the county finals event due to be held in Blackpool on June 30 has now been officially cancelled.

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Adrian Leather, chief executive at Active Lancashire said that while he was disappointed that pandemic had forced the cancellation of the finals staff had worked hard to make sure pupils remained involved in the inter-school contest.

Over the past few months, Active Lancashire and SPAR (James Hall & Co. Ltd) have worked with Lancashire School Games organisers to deliver a virtual offering of the SPAR Lancashire School Games through a new online platform.

This has included timetables of fun, daily sporting activities aimed at inspiring and motivating children and young people to keep active during lockdown, in line with their school P.E. curriculum and guidance from the Youth Sport Trust and Sport England.

The Stay at Home programme will continue to deliver these virtual activities and provide resources to ensure people are active until the end of June when it will culminate in a finale of fun and games at the virtual 2020 Lancashire Spar School Games Festival.

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Included in the line-up will be a celebration video of the last 10 weeks Games Heroes challenges, as well as a dance challenge where families and young people can learn a new routine at home and perform on June 30 .

A number of other challenges will be set by organisers to provide young people with the opportunity to achieve their personal best and challenge friends and family.

Lee Cadwallader, Wyre and Fylde school games organiser is chairman of Lancashire SGO’s and said: "We are equally as frustrated as the schools and children of Lancashire that the traditional delivery of the SPAR Lancashire School Games qualifying calendar cannot take place this year due to Covid-19.

"However, through proactive and innovative partnership work, the Lancashire School Games Organiser Network and Active Lancashire have devised a competitive home timetable of events which will still accumulate in our celebration event on June 30 .

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"We are very excited to be offering this virtual event which will still be able to showcase the amazing sporting talents of our county."

Peter Dodding, Sales and Marketing Director at James Hall & Co, SPAR added: "said, “Active Lancashire and the Lancashire School Games Organisers have delivered a fantastic programme of activities to ensure that the SPAR Lancashire School Games could continue despite the challenges of lockdown."

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