East Belfast Primary Schools get Sports Day boost from local retailer

A survey by SPAR UK has found that nearly half (46%) of parents in Northern Ireland stated that PE lessons in school are the only way their child has access to sports, with 67% agreeing that they struggle to afford to take their children to sports activities outside of school.

It comes as over 500 schools in Northern Ireland got their sports day boosted at the end of term thanks to SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOXTRA’s Schools Sports Day Campaign for 2024.

EUROSPAR Kinnegar in Holywood donated kits to nearby Knocknagoney Primary School, while SPAR Ballygowan Road supplied kits to Leadhill Primary School in Castlereagh. Each school also received equipment for those all-important races including bean bags, skipping ropes and cones, alongside water and healthy snacks to keep pupils going throughout the event.

In total, over 600 sports day kits were supplied to primary schools across the country from their local stores – an increase on the number of kits distributed in 2023.

Eoin McNamara, Store Manager at EUROSPAR Kinnegar commented; “We were delighted to make Knocknagoney Primary School’s sports day the best it could be with the kits.  It is an important end of term occasion and one that should be full of fun and celebration for the pupils, their parents and of course the teachers too!”

Gareth Wright, Store Manager at SPAR Ballygowan Road added; “Supporting schools within our community is really important to us, and we all remember our own sports days really fondly. They’re such a great day for parents to enjoy with their children, so we’re really pleased to have helped Leadhill Primary School make it an unforgettable day!”

Bronagh Luke from SPAR NI said it was an essential part of their community outreach; “There are over 500 SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO branded stores in NI, which provide support in many ways to their local primary schools throughout the year, so providing the Sports Day kits to schools is a fantastic way to round off the summer term and school year. Keeping active and enhancing the health of those in our local communities is a key priority for our stores as we continue to nurture the neighbourhoods we operate in.”

The research conducted by SPAR in February 2024 also found that 61% of respondents in Northern Ireland agreed it was expensive to buy sports kit and equipment to accommodate children’s varying sporting interests. School children were also surveyed, and 85% of those in Northern Ireland said they enjoyed sports and PE classes at school a lot or a bit, higher than any other region in the UK.

SPAR NI’s School Sports Day initiative began over 12 years ago, and has supported thousands of schools, helping enhance their end of term fixtures in the past decade, and Bronagh Luke says it is one that has been embraced by retailers and communities alike; “This is a really valuable engagement tool for our retailers to form meaningful connections with those in their community. These partnerships are created to engage with young people and help our store areas thrive across Northern Ireland and we’re very proud to see them grow year upon year.