FAIRFIELD Farm College welcomed former Olympic athlete, Heather Fell, to the college last week as part of a new sports initiative.
Together with Lavington School, Fairfield Farm College is part of the Sky Sports Living initiative which aims to inspire young people to be more active.
The P.E coordinator at Fairfield and inclusive sports coordinator for Wiltshire, Rachel Bown said, “We applied for the Sky Sports Living For Sport which is supported by the Youth Sport Trust and were accepted.
“We then had to create a project which inspires young people to be more active. So, once a month, eight pupils from each school who are keen footballers will train at Fairfield College. The coaches are year 10 students from Lavington School. Then we will play a home and away game against each other.
“The project is designed to give the students opportunities they wouldn’t normally have, for instance the competition aspect and representing their schools. The experience can be quite a challenge for them because they have to meet and interact with students from a different school who they don’t know. This strengthens their social skills and builds their confidence. I really believe in the power of sport and that it can change lives and this project shows that.”
Heather Fell said, “As an athlete mentor working with the Youth Sport Trust, I get the opportunity to visit lots of schools in the South West and a diverse mix of students. Fairfield is a great college and I’m so impressed with how many vocational opportunities there are for the students.
“For me, this project shows that sport is more than keeping active, it’s about being respectful and communicating with others. It’s much more than playing football, it’s about developing life skills and confidence.
“It’s great to see the two schools working together and the pupils interacting with each other. I’m looking forward to returning in a few months to see how the project has progressed.”
