Monday, 28 July 2008
The UK School Games kicks off in Bath and Bristol from 28 to 31 August showcasing the UK’s finest school-age elite athletes. This is the third UK School Games to be staged and it looks set to be the biggest and best yet.
This year record numbers of young athletes will compete with the event expanding to include nine sports. Alongside the new sport of hockey, competition will take place in badminton, judo, volleyball, athletics, fencing, gymnastics, swimming and table tennis, with disability events in athletics, swimming and table tennis.
Six million pounds from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has been awarded to the Youth Sport Trust through Legacy Trust UK, to develop the UK School Games in Bristol and Bath and each year until 2011.
In May this year we also launched the UK School Games Champion Ambassadors programme which will honour on an annual basis the outstanding performers from the UK School Games. Each Champion Ambassador will play an active role in contributing to the future development of the UK School Games and raise its profile as patrons, while meeting annually with UK School Games President Richard Caborn MP to provide an insight into the event as part of the Athletes Commission.
At the time Andy Burnham MP, Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, said of the UK School Games Champion Ambassadors programme: "What better way to learn or be inspired than by mixing with young, exceptional athletes who have achieved gold in an event you are hoping to compete in. By sharing experiences and a passion for sport, the Champion Ambassadors scheme will give young people across the UK the skills and the confidence they need to compete at their highest level."
Click here to find out more about the UK School Games