Counting down to the Black Country Youth Games
Released: 26 June 2007
Around 600 young people are getting ready to take part in the 12th annual Black Country Youth Games this Friday (June 29th) at Aldersley Leisure Village, Wolverhampton.
Training and coaching sessions are being held locally to ensure that each team is ready for the exciting challenges ahead.
The Games, which has been organised by the Black Country Sports Partnership, involves local authorities, schools, sports clubs, coaches and volunteers working collaboratively to drive the action needed to increase participation in sport and physical activity by people in the Black Country.
The Youth Games, which includes free entry for all spectators, will involve nine different sports from athletics to tag rugby and badminton to judo for young people ranging from 10-14 years old.
Councillor Phil Bateman MBE, Chair of the Black Country Sports Sub Board, will officially open the games at 10.00am with a prestigious opening ceremony, which will include various VIPs from around the Black Country.
Alison Williamson, Olympic bronze medallist in Archery, will also be attending the Black Country Youth Games, encouraging and cheering the children who are participating. Alison will be there in her capacity as a member of Team B&Q, a squad of athletes selected by B&Q as part of its partnership with the British Olympic Association to support Team GB through to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Alison is delighted to have been invited to Aldersley Leisure Village: “I am sure it will be a fabulous day and I hope the weather holds out. I hope I will also be able to encourage some of those taking part to take their sport to the next level and hopefully aim for Olympic medals of their own.”
All the Volunteers at the Games have been recruited from the hugely successful annual Step into Sport Young Volunteering Programme co-ordinated through the Black Country Sports Partnership.
Last year, the coveted title of ‘Black Country Youth Games Overall Winners’ was won by Dudley, who will be aiming for two in a row this year - but can the teams of Sandwell, Walsall or Wolverhampton take their crown? Let the Games begin!
Notes: The Black Country Sports Partnership (BCSP) is a sub-regional strategic partnership operating within the Black Country Consortium’s (BCC) governance framework.
It involves a range of partners, principally the four local authorities, Sport England and the Black Country Consortium Limited, who are committed to working together to support the development of sport and joint actions needed to increase and sustain the levels of participation in sport of a population over 1million people.
In 2007-08, the BCSP will be extending its membership to other key local agencies that are prepared to work towards a shared vision for sport.
Press enquiries: contact Simon Hall, Sports Partnership Director, Black Country Consortium on 01384 471136 or simon_hall@blackcountryconsortium.co.uk