1,500 Children gather for Sainsbury's School Games in Exeter

Against the backdrop of last week’s announcement that school sport is set to be transformed thanks to a £150m-a-year boost that will improve coaching for the youngest pupils and inspire the Olympic and Paralympic stars of the future, over 1,000 Devon school children aged between 9 and 18 years and over 200 young volunteers are preparing to take part in the Devon Winter School Games at Exeter University on Wednesday 27 March.

The national Sainsbury’s School Games programme is coordinated by a Local Organising Committee in Devon which is chaired by Hugh Bellamy (Principal of South Dartmoor Community College) and is supported by the County Sports Partnership, Active Devon. The programme is in its second year of a three year programme and has already held two events involving nearly 1000 children with varying ability from across the County this year, with a further two planned later in the year.

The School Games programme has also offered Active Devon the opportunity to develop the sporting workforce with the partnership funding sports specific Young Leader training, already engaging 105 young volunteers who will be on hand on Wednesday to officiate, coach and lead at the event. Volunteers will also come from Exeter College and the University of Exeter.

Participants representing a number of School Games areas – East Devon, St Luke’s, Plymouth and Dartmoor School Sports Partnerships, West Devon and Torbay Sport Partnership will be able to take part in a range of sports including Basketball, Cycling, Football, Hockey, Netball, Rugby, Table Tennis and Volleyball in addition to fully inclusive Boccia, Football and Goalball.

There are also a number of taster sessions for participants to try on the day including cycling with World Class professional cyclist Andrei Burton and his team alongside fencing, tennis and golf and the more unusual frisbee golf.

Information on the games and all results from the day can be seen at www.activedevon.org.