As a part of the Commonwealth Games Legacy 2022, Active Lancashire SPAR School Games offered a ‘Design a Baton’ competition and ‘Write a Pledge’ competition. This competition ran alongside the #Lancsgamesrelay22 which has seen the SPAR Lancashire School Games Baton travel round each district being welcomed by schools, their pupils and staff, inspiring the County to be active and uphold the School Games values. The Batons journey began back in February in West Lancashire and has since visited: Chorley, South Ribble, Blackburn, Hyndburn, Rossendale, Burnley, Pendle, Ribble Valley, Preston, Fylde, Lancaster, Heysham, Wyre and Blackpool. The Baton will complete its journey at the SPAR Lancashire School Games event in Blackpool on the fifth of July 2022.
The criteria for the baton was:
Design must:
· Inspired by young people and the Schools Games
· Have links to your local area or culture
· Be easy to carry while it travels around the world
· Be able to hold a special message from the Queen
The criteria for the pledge was:
Written piece should be:
· Inspired by young people, Your Schools Games and Birmingham
Commonwealth Games
· Have links to your local area or culture
· A celebration of sport and performance
· Encouraging everyone’s progress
All of the winning designs will be on display in the VIP tent at the Games, the winning Baton designer will be invited to lead the opening ceremony parade and the winning pledge will also be read out at the opening ceremony at the SPAR Lancashire School Games 2022 at Stanley Park.
We have received some fabulous designs and some truly inspirational pledges. It was a tough job for the SGOs to choose local winners and SPAR had the gruelling task of finalising the overall winners.
Thank you to all the schools, pupils and SGOs for your efforts and we are looking forward to welcoming all the finalists to the SPAR Lancashire School Games as VIPs.
The finalists are:
Baton Competition
Blackpool: William Brooks – Mereside Primary
Chorley: William Taylor – Brinscall St John’s
Heysham: Oliver Fox – Wilson’s Endowed
Rossendale: Hattie Leatherbarrow – St John’s Stonefold
South Ribble: Dawid Malkiewicz and Adam Krop – St Bede’s
West Lancashire: Lucas Whittle – Bretherton Endowed
Ribble Valley: Scarlett Smith – Oakhill School
Hyndburn: Alexia – St Mary’s Oswaldtwistle
Burnley: Cody Slater – Holy Trinity
Pledge Competition
Blackpool: Leo – Anchorsholme
Rossendale: Robin Moores – Haslingden
Chorley: Orla Downes - Euxton Primrose Hill
Hyndburn: Mischa Docksey – Benjamin Hargreaves
Ribble Valley: Emily Short – Balderstone St Leonard’s
Lancaster: Addison and Kayden – Willow Lane
Burnley: Sophia Williscroft – Cliviger
West Lancashire: Peyton and Ola – Woodland Community
