Four hundred primary school pupils gathered at Marl Pits in Rawtenstall for a Mini Olympics event, a fun-filled day of sports and activities. Nearly 40 sports leaders from local academies assisted organizer Nathan Bibby and numerous providers in running the event.
Range of Activities
Sports on offer included football, tag rugby, golf, a climbing wall, archery, and wheeled sports, catering to all abilities. While some events had winners, most were purely for enjoyment.
Parade and Banners
The day began with a parade where schools proudly displayed banners around the running track. Some pupils cartwheeled to the start, while others waved pom poms, creating a joyous atmosphere.
Britannia Primary School teacher Shannon Connolly praised the event: "This event is always so well organised and well attended and I want to thank Rossendale School Sports Partnership for all the opportunities they give our children – it is amazing." She added, "The variety of activities meant there was something for everybody."
Governor Suzanne Craven noted, "In the football our pupils had never played before together as a team, and they came third."
Inspirational Guests
Rossendale MP Andy MacNae attended, saying, "How brilliant – this is amazing. I am so pleased to be here, so pleased to see you all here having the chance to take part and get involved." He shared his own passion for climbing and cycling, adding, "I am convinced I wouldn’t be where I am today without what sport did for me."
Freestyle footballer Ash Randall wowed pupils with a stunning display of tricks, while inline skater Jenna Downing gave a motivational talk about her journey to becoming a world champion and the prejudice she faced.
Dance and Competitions
Thorn Primary School performed a special dance before activities began. Pupil Brooke won the 400m girls' track race, then raced against boys and won again. The football champions were St Paul’s, but other events focused on fun and personal challenges, such as learning a dance routine, scaling a climbing tower, shooting an arrow, and trying inline skating.
The day concluded with a dance performance led by Helen Rothwell from Fusion Dance and Fitness, with ice creams from Valley Ices, dancing, conga lines, and people doing 'the worm'.
Junior Journalists
Junior journalists worked with Catherine Smyth to write about the event and take photographs, creating a four-page newspaper to capture the day.
Organiser Nathan Bibby said: "I want to congratulate all of the pupils for being chosen to represent their school. For many who are in Year 6 it will be the last time before they move to High School." He added, "This has been a fantastic fun filled day with something for everyone and a real party atmosphere. Everyone has been so encouraging to each other and the Sports Leaders have done a brilliant job. Thank you to everyone who made today happen."
