Greenham Common Trust Gives £15,000 to Olympic-Style Games in Berkshire

The future Dame Kelly Holmes, or Matthew Pinsent could be discovered in Berkshire, and Greenham Common Trust is investing in the aspirations of young athletes by giving a grant to an Olympic-style festival.

This is the fourth year that Get Berkshire Active has run the Berkshire School Games Festivals, and GCT is giving £15,000 towards the project.

This is a national event, and a legacy from the UK’s 2012 Olympic Games. Berkshire has been recognised at a national level for the outstanding games it delivers.

As well as accessing competitions at the festivals, young people get the opportunity to try new activities, such as judo, archery, or dry slope skiing.

The aim behind the Berkshire School Games is to involve youngsters in a positive and controlled sporting competition that demonstrates the values of the Olympic Games.

Glenn Clarkson, chairman of Greenham Common Trust’s Distribution Committee, said: “This is an opportunity which should be embraced by the whole community. When the festival ends, we hope that it will be the continuation of a love of sport and activity that can shape young people’s lives. Countless studies show that incorporating exercise will ward off disease and age related problems, so let’s start improving young people’s lives and their future health today.”

The grant from GCT will be put towards the delivery of the Berkshire School Games, one of a countrywide set of games. The three levels of competition are:

• Level 1, an individual school
• Level 2, competition between schools, and
• Level 3, the actual games festivals where the winning schools from the second stage compete for their borough at a county final.