More than 250 schoolchildren from across Erewash were given the opportunity to take part in a badminton festival.
A total of 270 pupils competed at the event which was held at Rutland Sports Park in Ilkeston.
Sports leaders from Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy supported the event as part of their work towards a Youth Sport Award with the Youth Sport Trust.
Children in Years Three to Six took part from schools including Dallimore Primary, Chaucer Junior, Cotmanhay Junior, Mapperley Primary, Hallam Fields, Kensington, St Thomas, Stanley Common and Granby Junior.
They visited various stations set up to teach them different skills including footwork, balance, serving and rallying.
Rhian Lilley, Erewash School Sport Partnership Development manager, said the festival was a great success.
She said: “This was a fanastic opportunity for pupils to try badminton and learn skills that they can use in all sports they enjoy playing.
“To help with balance they played follow the leader and they carried out an exercise which involved jogging and side stepping around the boundaries of the court. This helps them to get to know a badminton court as they may not have played a game before.
“They were challenged to see how long they could keep the shuttlecock in the air during a rally and they also threw a larger shuttlecock to each other during the team games. They practised high and low services and took part in singles and doubles matches.
“We would like to thank all the pupils who came along and gave it a go with big smiles on their faces, which was great to see. Hopefully they learnt new skills and made some new friends along the way. Thankyou also to the staff who supported their pupils and to the fantastic staff and leaders from Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy. The leaders proved themselves to be extremely capable despite the fact that they are only in Year 7. A big well done to them.”
Notes to editors: Erewash School Sport Partnership is a group of 46 schools working together to develop PE and sport opportunities for all young people. Its core priority is to improve the quality and quantity of PE and sport in schools. The partnerships aims to engage, motivate and include as many young people as possible in a positive PE and sport experience.

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