SPAR Lancashire School Games Finale: 9 pics of pupils from across Preston and Blackpool compete

Children from primary, secondary, and special schools from across the Red Rose County descended on Blackpool’s Stanley Park to participate in everything from athletics to rugby, cricket to football, and netball to rounders.

Alongside the physical activities, an environmental awareness theme has run throughout this year’s competition, and winners were announced for the eco-trainer design competition.

Children from Anchorsholme Academy and Millfield Science and Performing Arts College in Blackpool also returned to perform their successful acts at the carnival closing after winning the recent Dance Finals.

For 2022-23, the Lancashire School Games have focused on helping young people recover from the effects of pandemic, and in total, 24,000 Lancashire children have taken part in 23 feature events.

11-year-old Soraya Douglas-Woods, who played in the netball tournament for Longsands Community Primary School, said: “It’s brilliant to be in Blackpool with all my friends and the Games are good for your physical and mental health. We’re a good team and we won our competition against all the other Preston schools to be here representing the city.”

The Games, run by Active Lancashire and the School Games Organiser Network, have been sponsored by SPAR since 2006, through its association with James Hall & Co, SPAR’s primary wholesaler and distributor for the North of England.

Niels Dekkers, Retail Development and Marketing Director at James Hall & Co, said: “It never seems to rain on the day of the SPAR Lancashire School Games Finale and what a spectacle we had again at Stanley Park.

“Year after year the team at Active Lancashire and the School Games Organiser Network put on a tremendous programme of activities and competitions for young people to participate in, and this delivered again with a huge number of children benefiting county-wide. It is why we are proud to have placed SPAR’s name as sponsor since 2006.”

Adrian Leather, Chief Executive of Active Lancashire, added: “As always, the SPAR Lancashire School Games Finale was a fantastic celebration of endeavour and achievement, and my congratulations go to all competitors and winners on the day.

“The positive impact the School Games programme has had on children both physically and mentally across Lancashire is profound every year, and we could not fulfil our ambitions without the support we enjoy from SPAR and James Hall & Co. Ltd.”