Wildcats get Active with Olympic Hero
As the countdown to London 2012 continues, children in primary schools across Northern Ireland continue to ‘get active’ with Sport Northern Ireland’s Activ8 Challenge. Now there’s even more opportunity to get involved with the launch of the Wildcats Activ8 Clubs. To celebrate this launch, members of a local Wildcats Activ8 Club from Cregagh Primary School, Castlereagh demonstrated their skills with Olympic medal winner Jonathan Edwards when he visited Belfast to officially launch the multi-skills clubs today.
Activ8, a Sport Northern Ireland campaign which encourages children to get active and stay healthy, aims to raise awareness about the importance of doing a
minimum of one hour of physical activity each day. The initiative is supported by
all five Education and Library Boards and the Public Health Agency, and is one of only three sports initiatives in Northern Ireland to have been awarded the London 2012 Inspire Mark.
Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive of Sport Northern Ireland Eamonn
McCartan welcomed Jonathan Edwards to Belfast to help launch the campaign, saying:
“We are delighted to again have the support of Olympic gold medallist Jonathan Edwards to launch the second Activ8 initiative this year. 10,000 children within 200 primary schools took part in the Activ8 Challenge launched by Sport Northern
Ireland in March. That support spurred Sport Northern Ireland to roll out Activ8
into multi-skills clubs. These Wildcats Activ8 Clubs take place after school in local leisure and community centres in over 19 Council areas throughout Northern Ireland.”
Jonathan Edwards has been a leading advocate and supporter of Activ8 since its inception and visited St. Joseph’s Primary School in Lisburn in March of this year to lend his support to Sport Northern Ireland’s Acitv8 initiative. The Olympic gold medallist and London 2012 Nations and Regions Group Deputy Chair awarded the project with a London 2012 Inspire Mark, the badge of the Inspire programme which recognises projects and events inspired by London 2012, during his second visit to Belfast to support Activ8 today. Jonathan described the development of the Wildcats Activ8 Clubs:
“Generating a legacy of participation from the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games is of crucial importance to our young people, and from its inception the Activ8 initiative has encapsulated everything that London 2012 is about. This is why it was awarded the London 2012 Inspire Mark, and why I am thrilled at having the opportunity to celebrate its continued development into the Wildcats Activ8 Clubs. Activ8 and the Wildcats Clubs are really making a positive contribution to children’s health and physical well-being whilst increasing participation in sport and I’d really encourage those who haven’t yet sampled the fun to get involved in a Club near you.”
The Wildcats Activ8 Clubs help children develop core skills for sport such as co-ordination, balance and agility, and Jonathan Edwards was more than willing to join in the fun.
At all Wildcats Activ8 Clubs, children between the ages of 5 and 11 have the chance to learn and develop new skills for sport, make new friends, and get active, all in a fun, safe and challenging way. And with bronze, silver and gold certificates to be picked up along the way, there’s much excitement with local children to get involved and get active.
Sport Northern Ireland’s Chief Executive Eamonn McCartan is extremely proud of
the achievements of Activ8 and welcomes the addition of the Wildcats Activ8
Clubs going on to say:
“Driving increased participation in sport, especially with young people is a key objective for Sport Northern Ireland. The long term benefits are very exciting and the Wildcats Activ8 Clubs ensure that we create a legacy of participation in sport from childhood right through to adulthood.
The Activ8 initiative also received an accolade at the recent City Beat ‘Feel Good’ Awards where it scoped the Community Award amongst strong competition, and of this we are immensely proud.”
To find out more information, or to check where Wildcats are on the prowl in an area near you, visit the Sport Northern Ireland website at www.sportni.net/activ8.
For further information, please refer media enquiries to:
Catherine McKeown, Marketing & Press Officer, Sport Northern Ireland
Tel: (028) 9038 3832 / 07792 600121
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