SPAR to continue sponsorship of Lancashire School Games

SPAR has agreed to continue its sponsorship of the Lancashire School Games, supporting thousands of children with opportunities to compete and achieve personal bests.

Organised and run by Active Lancashire and the School Games Organiser Network, the Lancashire School Games will be sponsored by SPAR for a 17th consecutive year through its association with James Hall & Co. Ltd, SPAR UK’s primary wholesaler and distributor for the North of England.

In 2022-23, Active Lancashire will continue to provide events within the Lancashire School Games that will help young people recover from the effects of pandemic, while supporting those who may have been impacted the most.

SPAR’s sponsorship extension of the Lancashire School Games for another year has coincided with Upholland Roby Mill Primary School being revealed as the winner of an Active Lancashire competition.

The school participated in Active Lancashire’s Active Mile challenge in the autumn as part of the Red Rose County’s Lancashire Day celebrations and won a voucher to spend on sports and activity equipment including a giant snakes and ladders board.

Headteacher of Upholland Roby Mill Primary School, Nicola Grand, said: “Lancashire School Games participation is vital for our school and pupils to enable them to be fit, active, and foster a love for sport.

“As a small school, large team competitions can be a challenge but through Lancashire School Games activities, everyone can participate, be inspired, and strive to achieve their very best.

“At Roby Mill, we are delighted to be winners of the Active Mile prize draw and have already made use of our new equipment and raised the profile of sport within the school.”

Ian Monk, a Year 6 pupil at Roby Mill Primary School, said: “I completed the Active Mile challenge at school with my friends where we had great fun doing a throwing and catching activity.

“I really like sport and outside of school I play football and rugby league and union. My favourite lesson at school is PE so the Lancashire School Games is something I enjoy. I am also on the Sport Council where we promote sport with peers at other schools.”

Lidia Kowalska, a Year 5 pupil at Roby Mill Primary School, said: “I love sport and it is brilliant to be part of the Lancashire School Games through school. The Active Mile challenge was good as it was an activity we could all take part in and work as a team to achieve.

“Outside of school, I do a lot of swimming and it is the sport that I am best at. Swimming is great exercise and I find it really calming when I am in the water.”

Tom Murphy, Marketing Manager at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said: “We are very pleased to continue our partnership with Active Lancashire and our sponsorship of the SPAR Lancashire School Games.

“The SPAR brand internationally has become synonymous with athletics sponsorship, with its longstanding commitment to European Athletics, and here in Lancashire we are equally committed to encouraging skills development and achievement in young people through games, activities and competitions.

“When you see children like those at Upholland Roby Hill Primary School enjoying participation in sports and activities, while building important life skills like teamwork and communication at the same time, it really brings home just what our sponsorship delivers in communities across Lancashire.”

Andy Clark, Children and Young People Development Officer at Active Lancashire, said: “We were delighted that Roby Mill were the winners of the 2022-23 SPAR Lancashire School Games Active Mile challenge. We had 43 schools take part in logging over 11,000 miles in homage to the recent Rugby World Cup and with the start of the Football World Cup.

“We added in an extra element to this year’s Active Mile, and we encouraged schools to incorporate a ball in their mile. All Lancashire schools were welcomed to get their pupils covering a mile of activity whether this be walking, running, skipping or hopping; promoting the value of physical activity.

“As a reward for winning, they received £100 of ESPO vouchers which they have spent on resources to support their school community moving more in extracurricular activities including a giant snakes and ladders game which we saw in action.”