School sports days and competitions were all but cancelled last year amid the global pandemic.
Since young people returned to school, the Youth Sport Trust has been working with other sports organisations to help promote an active recovery – harnessing the power of sport and play to help young people to reconnect and recover.
With an aim to encourage as many schools, families, and communities as possible to hold a ‘Together Again’ school sport day, National School Sport Week took place last week between 19 and 25 June.
Living Sport took part in the week by delivering a school sport day at a different primary school to cover each of the localities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough across the five days. Over 50 local schools registered for the initiative and five schools were selected at random to take part. A variety of activities was delivered across a range of year groups, from yoga to skipping, dodgeball to relays.
The five schools involved were Martin Bacon Academy in Northstowe, The Grove Primary in Cambridge, West Town Primary Academy in Peterborough, Townley School and Pre-School in Christchurch and Alconbury CE Primary in Alconbury. 
Living Sport School Sport Delivery Coordinator Megan Fey said: “We have had a fantastic week in local primary schools. National School Sport Week offered an excellent opportunity for Living Sport to help pupils enjoy positive and inclusive physical activity experiences by having fun together and trying new things. It was a joy to see the children’s energy and enthusiasm.
"Living Sport works across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to enable children and young people to be more physically active to support their physical, social and mental wellbeing. With the pandemic restricting how much face-to-face physical activity children could participate in over the past year, the National School Sport Week campaign has provided a springboard to build interest and enjoyment once again.”
Youth Sport Trust Chief Executive Ali Oliver said: “We are so happy to have the support of Living Sport for this year’s National School Sport Week. We hope this June will see a summer of refocussed Together Again school sport days, celebrating togetherness and helping young people to recover from a year like no other.
“Sports days don’t have to be about being the best, strongest or quickest, they are a celebration of bringing us together and learning key skills like communication, empathy, teamwork and resilience.
“To support every child to recover from the effects of the pandemic, National School Sport Week is truly collective national effort with schools, sporting organisations, and families up and down the country playing their part. Sport has such a crucial role to play in promoting young people’s wellbeing and we are so pleased to see young people, families and friends come together again.”
This year, National School Sport Week is partnering with the Together campaign to bring the themes to life for young people through sport.
About National School Sport Week
Children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust started the annual National School Sport Week campaign in 2008 and it has run every year since. Last year the campaign was repositioned as National School Sport Week at Home and, with many young people not in school, families were invited to take part at home for the first time. With the help of Sky Sports, it reached 2 million people. National School Sport Week is run in association with European School Sports Day which this year will take place on 24 September.