Thursday, 8 May 2008
Dame Kelly Holmes inspired young people across the West Midlands to do more PE and school sport when she visited pupils in the area this week.
In her role as the National School Sport Champion, a Government-backed role managed by the Youth Sport Trust and supported by Norwich Union, Dame Kelly has taken on the challenge of helping the Government give every child the chance of five hours of sport every week.
The Ackers Adventure Centre in Birmingham acted as host for the first part of Kelly’s visit to the schools that make up the Golden Hillock School Sport Partnership. Pupils from schools across the partnership came together for the chance to meet Dame Kelly and demonstrate some of the more unusual activities on offer during their PE sessions.
The second part of the afternoon’s visit focused on an area of work that Kelly is particularly passionate about – girls participation. Kelly visited Bordesley Green Girls School to meet with pupils and members of the community. All are benefiting from the links that the School Sport Partnership have made with local leisure centres and schools to offer ‘satellite centres.’ Here girls and women feel safe and secure and are given opportunities to take part in activities not normally on offer.
Anna Delargy, Golden Hillock’s Partnership Development Manager says:
“Our work as a School Sport Partnership reaches out from the classroom into the local community and Dame Kelly’s visit provided a huge boost to all involved in our outreach work. We are passionate about ensuring there are opportunities for everyone to take part in PE and sport and this project reaches those who may otherwise not get to benefit.”
Dame Kelly Holmes, National School Sport Champion, explained the importance of the visits:
“I’m excited about visiting the West Midlands to inspire pupils of all ages and abilities to be the best they can be in sport whether that’s as volunteers, young leaders or participants. Sport has been an enormous part of my life so I’m very passionate about how children can get involved in all types of sporting activity.”