Feast of sport and activity for Black Country kids

Youngsters from across Walsall, Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Dudley came to the University of Wolverhampton's Walsall Campus also helped organise events. and overall enjoyed a festival of sport.

Organised by Active Black Country and the School Games, the event is aimed to inspire children to participate in and enjoy sports.

An all inclusive theme saw schoolchildren take part in archery, dodgeball, tag rugby, netball, archery, cricket, bhanghra dancing and more, with the weather staying bright and sunny for the event.

Representatives of the 'Smile for Joel' charity, Acorns, Walsall FC, British Triathlon, Staffs Cricket and England Netball were there amongst other organisations.

The festival is the culmination of a six-month-programme and as well as the ten school sports there was a Change4Life trail, encouraging tyoungsters who have had limited engagement in sport, PE and physical activity to become more active.

Billy Downie, the president of the festival and the head teacher at Streetly Academy welcomed the participants and organisers and said the day was enjoyed by all.

He said: "These games are about children coming together as part of their school and society through sports. They get to engage in physical activity and a variety of sports with the emphasis on being all inclusive.

"Since the pandemic physical activity has become even more important and you don't have to have a sporting talent to take part which is partly the message of the games."

Leah Goode from Active Black Country said the event was always a highlight of their calendar.

She said: "The youngsters have an input into the planning of the event as well and the programme is designed to provide something for all of them to take part in whether it is leisurely or quite intense. Either way it gets them out of the school and classroom and onto the sports fields."