In response to the UK’s third national lockdown, the SPAR Lancashire School Games has launched a new virtual programme of activities. The programme is designed to keep children across the county active and help them achieve their 60 daily exercise minutes.  

The SPAR Lancashire School Games is the county’s largest youth sporting programme, engaging over 100,000 school children in 2019. Hosted on the games’ website and social media channels, the programme is delivered by Active Lancashire and 14 Lancashire School Games Organisers.  The games are funded by Sport England and sponsored by SPAR UK partner James Hall & Co. 

Soaring inactivity levels
Inactivity levels amongst children and young people have soared during the coronavirus pandemic. The closure of schools and sporting facilities has significantly affected children’s access to regular exercise opportunities. 

Dominic Holroyd, Children and Young People Development Officer at Active Lancashire said, “The number of children meeting the government’s recommended 60 minutes of exercise has significantly decreased since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.” 

Dominic added, “It is so important for children to be active. Physical activity not only helps to protect against obesity and diabetes, but it also helps with concentration levels, mental health, self-confidence, and good sleeping patterns.” 

Fun and engaging
The SPAR Lancashire School Games virtual programme offers downloadable resources for all age groups. The programme is in line with school PE curriculum and is designed to be fun and engaging.

The network of Lancashire School Games Organisers has also created ‘Stay at Home Heroes Challenge’ videos and interactive activities. These meet government guidelines and can be adapted to small spaces with equipment found in the home.

During 2020, the games went online to great success, engaging more schools than ever before. Online activities included a ten-week virtual programme of activity, a virtual sports day, and an Active Mile challenge.

To find out more about the SPAR Lancashire School Games programme, visit www.lancashireschoolgames.co.uk

Source: SPAR UK

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About SPAR UK

The UK became a member of SPAR in 1956 when a group of independent wholesalers was granted the SPAR licence by SPAR International. There are five regional partners in the UK, Each has strategically placed Distribution Centres. A central office, located in London, provides national marketing and buying services for the group.

SPAR has led the convenience market in the UK for many years but has faced increasing competition. Always innovative, the five regional partners have continued to grow the brand. Throughout the UK, a combination of independently-owned licensed retailers and company-owned stores can be found. These include forecourts, airports, train stations, city centres, and local neighbourhoods.