AROUND 1,200 children from years three to 13 from 49 schools across Worcestershire came together to participate in a day of sport at the inaugural Worcestershire School Games.

The event, which took place at Bromsgrove School, used the spirit of the Olympics and Paralympics to inspire young people to be the best they can be.

The children — ranging in ages from seven to 18 — went head-to-head in their own mini-Olympics, battling it out for the title of Worcestershire School Games champion in 14 different sports.

The School Games were supported by 350 young leaders, who had received special training to help run the event in a range of roles including team leaders, event support and an on-site media team gathering video footage of the day and interviewing participants.

The Games even had their own set of ‘Olympic values’, which everyone participating committed to upholding. These were: passion, honesty, teamwork, respect, determination and self-belief.

The youngsters represented both their school and their district in the School Games – with the county divided into the six districts of Redditch, North Worcestershire, Droitwich and Worcester City, South Worcestershire, Worcestershire West and Wyre Forest.

Steve Brewster, director at the Sports Partnership Herefordshire and Worcestershire, which part-funded and helped organise the Worcestershire School Games, said: “On behalf of the Worcestershire School Games Local Organising Committee, I would like to thank everyone who took part in the festival of sport – either as a competitor or as an event volunteer or sponsor – for helping make our inaugural School Games a huge success.

“I think it is fair to say that the true spirit and values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games shone through.

Plans are now underway for the Worcestershire Winter School Games and another summer Games in 2013.

The winners on the day were: Basketball — South Bromsgrove High School.

Boccia — Droitwich and Worcester City partnership.

Football — Perdiswell Primary School, Worcester.

Inclusive zone basketball — Pitcheroak School, Redditch.

Indoor rowing — Year seven: Dyson Perrins CofE Academy, Malvern and year eight: Hagley RC High School.

Netball — Heathfield School, Wolverley.

New age kurling — Wyre Forest School, Kidderminster.

Tennis — Year three/four: Meadows First School, Bromsgrove and year five/six: Clifton-upon-Teme Primary School, Worcester, individual tennis winners — boys: Alex Mags, Redditch partnership and girls: Imogen Sinclair, North Worcestershire partnership.

Quadkids — Blackminster Middle School and Vale of Evesham School, Evesham.

Rounders — Bromsgrove School.

Table tennis — South Bromsgrove High School.

Table cricket — Chadsgrove School, Bromsgrove.

Tag rugby — Wyre Forest School, Kidderminster.

Tri golf — Abbeywood First School, Redditch.