Children do Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre proud in SPAR Lancashire School Games
Schoolchildren from across the Fylde coast stormed to success at this year’s SPAR Lancashire School Games County finals, clinching six medals.
More than 2,000 pupils from 15 districts took part in the largest youth sporting event across Lancashire.
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Hide AdThey competed in 16 sports following months of qualifying competitions. This year pupils enjoyed battling it out in glorious sunshine at Stanley Park in Blackpool.
Team Blackpool scooped a silver medal in the specialist schools tee-ball competition, helped by Park Community Academy, while Highfurlong School pupils brought home silver in the inclusive new age kurling competition.
Team Wyre was helped to success by the girls from Shakespeare Primary School, who battled it out in the action-packed final against Chorley’s Euxton CE Primary School before snatching the gold trophy for the third year running.
The success did not stop there, with Wyre’s Carleton St Hilda’s CE Primary School also bagging silver in the high five netball and Rossall School taking bronze in the tri golf competitions.
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Hide AdLytham Hall Park Primary School also wowed judges in the mixed cricket tournament, which saw the school bring home gold for team Fylde.
The title of overall county champions was presented to team Chorley for the second year running, with the district clinching a total of nine medals and beating last year’s total of six.
The opening ceremony was hosted by Rock FM and presenter Pete Otway introduced pupils marching in the district parade.
The parade was led by team Chorley after Ayeesha Mahmood from Buckshaw Primary School won the annual cultural flag competition.
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Hide AdGabriella Sykes from Oakhill School in Ribble Valley shared her pledge speech at the opening ceremony, underpinning the values which the SPAR Lancashire School Games upholds: determination, honesty, passion, respect, self-belief and teamwork.
The Lancashire Lion, SPAR Lancashire School Games mascot, was on hand to cheer on pupils throughout the day, while more than 200 young leaders from across Lancashire volunteered to support the event in a variety of roles, such as school games-makers and, new for 2018, SPAR media leaders.
During the closing ceremony, children entertained the crowds with energetic performances.St Aiden’s High School performed a dance medley from Cats and spectators were also treated to a performance from Britain’s Got Talent star Ella Shaw.
Now in its 12th year, the SPAR Lancashire School Games is organised by Active Lancashire, implemented by the county’s school games organisers and sponsored by James Hall & Company Ltd, SPAR distributors for the North of England.
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Hide AdPeter Dodding, sales and marketing director at James Hall & Company Ltd, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to support and be part of the biggest youth sporting event in Lancashire.
“We are committed to encouraging young people of all abilities to participate in competitive, inclusive team sports, and each year at the county finals I am blown away by the passion that children across Lancashire have for keeping active.”
Dave Rohman, school games organiser for Blackpool, said: “As the SPAR Lancashire School Games continues to grow each year we see more and more youngsters across Lancashire taking part, having fun and trying new sports, which is exactly what we aim to achieve.
“As always, the county finals event was a huge success and it was fantastic to see youngsters from across the district getting in the team spirit at each sporting event.
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Hide Ad“Congratulations to everyone who took part and a huge well done to Blackpool area pupils for making everyone in the district proud.”
Full results for the SPAR Lancashire School Games finals at Blackpool’s Stanley Park.
KS3 inclusive orienteering (mainstream)
Gold – Hyndburn: Accrington Academy
Silver – Burnley: Blessed Trinity RC College
Bronze – West Lancashire: St Bede’s Catholic High School
KS3 inclusive orienteering (specialist schools)
Gold – South Ribble: Moor Hey School
Silver – Burnley: Ridgewood Community High School
Bronze – Heysham
Tee-ball (mainstream)
Gold – Pendle: Pendle Vale College
Tee-ball (specialist schools)
Gold – Burnley
Silver – Blackpool: Park Community Academy
Bronze – Blackburn
Inclusive new age kurling
Gold – Chorley: Mayfield School
Silver – Blackpool: Highfurlong School
Bronze – Burnley: Ridgewood Community High School
PAN football
Gold – Chorley: Holy Cross Catholic High School
Silver – Lancaster
Bronze – Hyndburn
Primary orienteering (Y5/6)
Gold – South Ribble Worden
Silver – South Ribble Brownedge
Bronze – Rossendale
Touch rugby
Gold – South Ribble Worden: Balshaw’s Church of England High School
Silver – Blackburn: Darwen Vale High School
Bronze – Ribble Valley: St Augustines RC High School
Quad kids athletics (Y3/4)
Gold – Chorley: Euxton CofE Primary School
Silver – West Lancashire: Aughton Town Green Primary School
Bronze – Heysham: Bolton-le-Sands Primary School
Duathlon (Y7/8)
Gold – West Lancashire: Burscough Priory Science College
Silver – Chorley: Albany Academy
Bronze – Rossendale: Haslingden High School
Duathlon (Y9/10)
Gold – Rossendale: Hasslingden High School
Silver – Chorley: Albany Academy
Bronze – Preston
High five netball (Y5/6)
Gold – Ribble Valley: Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School
Silver – Wyre: Carleton St Hilda’s CE Primary School
Bronze – Burnley: St Joseph’s Park Hill School
Tri golf (Y3/4)
Gold – Preston: St Andrew’s CE Primary School
Silver – South Ribble Worden: Ashbridge School
Bronze – Wyre: Rossall School
Super 8 athletics (boys)
Gold – Chorley: Holy Cross Catholic High School
Silver – Lancaster: Lancaster Royal Grammar School
Bronze – South Ribble Worden
Super 8 athletics (girls)
Gold – Chorley: St Michael’s CE High School
Silver – Blackburn: St Bede’s Roman Catholic High School
Bronze – Preston: Archbishop Temple School
Girls’ football
Gold – Wyre: Shakespeare Primary School
Silver – Chorley: Euxton CE Primary School
Bronze – Heysham: Great Wood Primary School
Kwik sticks hockey (Y5/6)
Gold – Lancaster
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Hide AdSilver – Heysham: St Peter’s Church of England Primary School
Bronze – Chorley: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
Rounders
Gold – Ribble Valley: Bowland High
Silver – South Ribble Worden: Balshaw’s Church of England High School
Bronze – Blackburn: Westholme School
Mixed cricket
Gold – Fylde: Lytham Hall Park Primary School
Silver – Ribble Valley: Pendle Primary School
Bronze – Blackburn: The Olive School
Overall winners
Gold – Chorley 184 points
Silver – Burnley 182 points
Bronze – West Lancashire 167 points