Children put their best foot forward for Sports Relief

3:44pm Wednesday 17th March 2010

By Craig Evry

Children have been putting on wellies, pyjamas and fancy dress to take part in Sports Relief Mile events being held across west Wiltshire this week.

Sports apprentices with Active Trowbridge, part of Trowbridge Town Council, have organised 13 Sport Relief Mile events at schools in Trowbridge and surrounding villages, with the first one held on March 8 at Keevil Primary School and the last one due to be held on March 24 at Holt Primary School.

The school events are in addition to two flagship runs being held this Sunday - one in Trowbridge Park, organised by Active Trowbridge, and a second at the Christie Miller Sports Centre in Bowerhill, organised by the Avon Valley Runners.

This week, runs have been held at Walwayne Court, Bellefield and Westwood-with-Iford primary schools.

Sarah O’Donnell, headteacher at the Westwood school, said 87 pupils took part in their Mile on Tuesday, along with 14 more children from Westwood Nursery.

Mrs O’Donnell said: “We started at 9.30am. It was five laps of the course around the school field and playground. Everyone, even staff, had their pyjamas and wellies on.

“The children did very well. The older children paired up with the younger children so they had someone to walk around with. It was a lovely day, nobody got too tired.”

Mrs O’Donnell, who wore her blue satin pyjamas for the run, said their Mile event, along with an all-day benchball tournament, was expected to raise £400.

Amy Ramsay, sports and leisure activities supervisor at Trowbridge Town Council, said Active Trowbridge apprentices set up the courses at the schools and ensure the events run smoothly.

She said: “We are turning up in the morning and set up the course, which has already been marked out. All the children get given a card as they have to do laps and they get a stamp each time they have done one. Then they all get a certificate at the end. They have gone really well so far. Every single child at each school has given it a go.”

Pupils at Newtown Primary School and Clarendon College will be taking part in Sports Relief Mile events today.

The Mile in Trowbridge Town Park on Sunday begins at 11am, with options for a one-mile, three-mile or six-mile route.

The Melksham Mile, at Christie Miller, also starts at 11am and offers the same three distance options as the Trowbridge event. Visit www.avonvalleyrunners.org.uk for more details.