450 school pupils come together for sports and activity in the Black Country

The day started with an Opening Ceremony compered by Mrs Barbara Nice, who got the kids moving and introduced the day’s special guest, Birmingham 2022’s official mascot, Perry. The Opening Ceremony also featured a dance performance from pupils at Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Academy in Wolverhampton.

Working with the 11 School Games Organisers, the primary, secondary and special school pupils participated in a range of sports and activities, including – new for 2021 – four Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games sports: Volleyball, Basketball, Boxing and Judo.

In addition to the Birmingham 2022 sports, 12 mini activities were on offer as part of the Change 4 Life Zone (delivered by local community organisations) including everything from Tai Chi to circus activities to cricket and sitting volleyball with scooting being a big hit on the day.

Amanda Tomlinson, Chair of the Active Black Country Board said:

What a fantastic day for the pupils, the Schools Games Organisers and the teachers who supported on the day.It was wonderful to see the pupils back together in the real-world getting involved and being active throughout the day.

It was great to see pupils and adults alike be inspired by Birmingham 2022 official mascot Perry who was on hand to cheer everyone on and try out some of the sports for himself. The enthusiasm on show was a real demonstration of the excitement we are all beginning to feel as we count down to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.”

Richard Medcalf, Director of the Institute of Human Sciences at the University of Wolverhampton said:

We were delighted to host the Black Country School Games again, providing hundreds of young people with the chance to try out the specialist facilities we have at the Walsall Campus.

It was fantastic to see pupils from across the Black Country participating in a range of sports, and it was a great opportunity for Degree students from the University to experience leading activities and supporting the Schools and event organisers throughout the day.

We’ve missed being able to play sport with each other and it’s been a great opportunity to bring people together from across the region.”

The all-day event in Walsall was a real celebration of sport and activity and a great way to kick-start the Black Country School Games programme for 2021/22. 

ENDS