Westgate all set for more sports success

Jessica Brazier, a former pupil at Westgate Primary and currently the Warwickshire Under 11 Junior Squash champion, was delighted to be invited back to her old school.

And the children were excited to welcome somebody so young to open what they are already calling The Westgate Arena.

Head teacher Lynne Daniels made a successful bid to Sport England for the cash to create and equip the outdoor multi-sports area in the playground.

Westgate was one of only a few inner-city and town centre schools to be awarded the full £30,000 as sport is seen as particularly important in built-up areas.

Mrs Daniels said: “The new space has made an enormous difference already to our ability to play a range of sports on site.

“We know that the arena will have a huge impact on sport at Westgate in the future.”

The cash came from an £18 million National Lottery funded Primary School Facilities Fund.

Nick Bitel, chairman of the Sport England which administers the fund, said: “Having the right space to play sport and be physically active as a child is vitally important.

“We are delighted to be investing this funding in Westgate to improve the spaces that will give children the space to start enjoying PE and sport.”

Legendary middle-distance runner Sebastian Coe, now the prime minister’s Olympic and Paralympic Legacy ambassador, added: “A postive first experience of PE and sport at primary school is crucial to encouraging young people to be active throughout their lives - but for those schools with little or no outside space, this can be extremely challenging to deliver.

“This funding will provide better outdoor multi-activity play areas at Westgate that can be used both within the curriculum and outside school hours for extra-curricular activities.

“I am convinced this will boost the opportunities for young people to be physically active.”

The National Lottery fund builds on the Government’s £150 million a year Primary PE and Sport Premium.