It’s extremely busy at Freshfield at the moment; however I managed to tear myself away from my desk and about three million emails last week to attend The Lancashire Youth Games county finals.

The programme of events has been expanded again this year to include 112 district finals and nine county finals, including a special schools’ swimming gala and the SPAR Lancashire Disability Youth Games. It was the turn of the Gymnastics County Finals this month and it was a fantastic event.

Senior competition manager, Jane Sheridan had once again created a great event for children across Lancashire, offering a brilliant opportunity to get involved with sport and be the best you can be. She was helped by demonstrations and coaching from The City of Preston Gym Club, Gym Mania and Preston City Trampolining Club.

Gold medallist gymnast, Craig Heap attended the event and delivered an inspiring presentation prior to the competition, focusing on finding your own identity and showing the importance of participation and determination. Craig, who was born in Lancashire, captained England to a team Gold in the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and again in Manchester four years later.

Craig is now delivering presentations to a number of pupils across the UK, illustrating how sport can really make a difference to people’s lives. I managed to steal his medals and pretend I was champion, photo taken by Clive Lawrence Photography.

Children were able to compete in both the team and individual sections in one half of the sports hall, whilst those who weren’t participating at the time could enjoy specialist coaching on a number of apparatus. It was so lovely to see grassroot sport being supported like this. I do feel very cross to know that whilst the Lancashire Youth Games, run by The Lancashire Sport Partnership is such a success, the people behind it are losing their jobs and I’m not quite sure why the Government feel this is necessary a year before the 2012 Olympics.

Events like the Youth Games, where young children are encouraged to participate in a number of different sports are likely to lessen across the country and quite frankly it will be a severe loss to so many children. In addition, as a nation, we are unlikely to perform at high standards if sport is not supported from a young age.

The events as a whole have brought together more than 10,000 pupils from hundreds of primary schools across 14 local authority districts.

Winners:

Individual

Boys: 1st William Brimelow, 2nd Leon Bottomley, 3rd Lucas Down

Girls: 1st Holly McCauley, Joint 2nd Harriet Qualter and Yasmin Bannister and 3rd Lucy Harris

Team:

1st Blackpool  (St Teresa’s Primary.)

2nd – Wyre (The Breck.)

3rd Heysham (St Peters.)