Kids gearing up for the Saddleworth Village Olympics

Cheque mates: Pictured (left to right) are Andrew Rothwell, chairman of Saddleworth Round Table, Adrian Green, chair of Saddleworth Village Olympics, and Matthew Sykes, Table’s community support officer

On your marks... one thousand children are getting set for the start of the dynamic Saddleworth Village Olympics.

And with just a few weeks to go, they have been given a healthy £3,000 cash boost by their sponsors - Saddleworth Round Table.

The Olympics, now in their 34th year, will see children from 13 villages in seven ‘teams’ compete across 18 disciplines from Saturday September 7 to Sunday the 22nd.

Competition ranges from traditional cricket, football, rugby and athletics to modern dodgeball and basketball, offering something for everyone to enjoy and challenge.

They compete against friends and neighbours to score points for their village or their school’s village, with the village(s) with the highest points claiming victory in each discipline and one overall winning village in both the junior and senior categories.

Adrian Green, the Village Olympics chairman, welcomed the unstinting support from the community.

He said: “The work and effort that goes in to making the three weeks competition a success if nothing short of phenomenal.  

“We just couldn’t achieve this without the efforts of the committee, coaches, parents, the enthusiasm of children or the support of organisations like the Round Table, so thank you - you're amazing.”

As part of this partnership, Round Table will have a tent at the opening ceremony promoting their winter activities, including the Oktober Pie Festival and their famous charity Santa Dash.

Matthew Sykes, Round Table’s community support officer, said: “This event is unique and really engages children of all ages and abilities to get involved in sporting activities across all villages and shows just how important our communities are.”

The Olympics opening ceremony will have  a brass band, coloured flags, gymnastic ribbons, cheerleaders, the coming together of the seven Olympic Rings - plus a little surprise.   

The event organisers are encouraging villagers to support small local businesses who have donated money and raffle prizes as part of  the Olympic ‘Proud Sponsor’ initiative.  

If you’d like to make a donation as a ‘Proud Sponsor’ or suggest any other funding raising ideas, e-mail: svogames@gmail.com

Find more information on the website: www.saddleworthvillageolympics.co.uk

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