Since 2012, the Sussex School Games Summer Festival has been an annual highlight for school sport competition in the county, with tens-of-thousands of children competing throughout the year to qualify. Due to school closures and restrictions surrounding COVID-19, this year’s event has been cancelled, but the organisers are determined to still put school teams to test, with a virtual competition that sees the title of Sussex champions up for grabs.
With social distancing restrictions still currently in place in the UK, there is a continuing need to ensure that people are staying healthy and active while at home. On Monday 27th April, a programme of sports challenges will be launched online - the Specsavers ‘Virtual’ Sussex School Games.
Active Sussex, in partnership with the Sussex School Games Organiser network and national governing bodies of sport, are launching the virtual competition as a response to the cancelled programme of school sport this spring and summer. Each week throughout the summer term, children will have the opportunity to represent their school from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
A new sport will be announced each Monday, made up of four challenges. Children are encouraged to train and improve, logging their best scores online before midday on Friday, to contribute to their school’s average score. Medals will be awarded to the best primary and secondary schools for each sport and an overall leaderboard will be kept throughout the summer.
It’s not only the children who can represent their school, as an Active Adults leaderboard will also be kept for teachers, parents and carers that would like to give it a go.
The programme is funded by Sport England through National Lottery funding and supported by the Department of Culture Media and Sport, the Department of Health and headline sponsors, Specsavers.
Sadie Mason MBE, Chief Executive of Active Sussex said: “The world is a strange place for everybody at the moment, particularly school children. So we invite schools from every corner of Sussex to get involved, not only for the physical good, but for the mental benefits that representing your school team alongside your peers, albeit virtually, can bring.”
For more information and to sign up for the Specsavers ‘Virtual’ Sussex School Games, visit www.sussexschoolgames.co.uk and follow @SussexSchGames on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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