Schoolchildren enjoyed the Primary TriGolf County Final

1st June 2011

Pupils from a school in Cumbria are teeing up for a shot at a title double.

Kirkby Stephen primary school will represent the county in the regional final of the TriGolf national skills competition.

Last year Newlaithes School brought the title back north after winning the national final at Loughborough University.

This year Kirkby Stephen will fly the flag for the county after they emerged triumphant from the Cumbria qualifying round at French Fields, Penrith.

More than 60 children from nine schools took part in a range of golf related activities and games.

Now Kirkby Stephen will travel to Manchester on June 15 to take on teams from across Cheshire and Lancashire with a place  in the national final, to again be held at Loughborough University, at stake.

Jane Robinson, county development officer for the Cumbria County Golf Partnership, said: "Tri-Golf is a fun and easy way for children to try their hand at some of the skills needed to play golf. Plus it is a great alternative to some of the more traditional sports played in schools.

"It is an enjoyable way of taking up the sport  and a great way of introducing children to the game in a safe environment.

"The qualifying competition proved a big success with all the children enjoying the different challenges. Golf is a great sport to become involved in at an early age, providing health benefits as well as a sporting challenge and, through membership of a club, the opportunity to make new friends and widen your social life.

"We wish the team from Kirkby Stephen all the best in the next stage of their quest to make it two in a row for Cumbria."

The festival was delivered by Andy Leigh, the North West Regional Development Officer for the Golf Foundation.

Andy Leigh said: "The Cumbria county final for the Primary Tri-Golf competition was a great success on the day. This was mainly due to the hard work carried out prior to the event.

"To get nine teams to a central venue, who have already taken part in local qualifiers, was testimony to the dedicated team of competition managers, school sport partnerships and school staff.

"The young leaders on the day of the final were instrumental in making the county final run smoothly. This has been a successful partnership between golf and school sport development teams."

The schools taking part in the Cumbria qualifying round were  Black Combe Junior School, Crosby on Eden School, Holme St Cuthbert School, Kirkby Stephen Primary School, Skeleton Primary School, Stanwix School, St Columbas Catholic Primary School, St Pauls Junior School and Thornhill Primary School.

Kirkby Stephen Primary School is only one of the partner primary schools who have benefited from the Eden Valley School Sport Partnership's programme of golf activities over a number of years, including Tri-Golf training for schools, equipment, sessions in primary and secondary school throughout the Partnership, culminating in competitions and links to local golf clubs.

Becky Wolstenholme, Development Manager for the Partnership, said: "I am absolutely delighted that all the concentrated, co-ordinated approach, working with our golf partners, has paid dividends.

"This is a fantastic achievement for Kirkby Stephen Primary School and I wish them every success at the regional final in Manchester."

The Cumbria County  Golf Partnership  is a collaboration of a number of stakeholders in the sport including the English Golf Union, The English Women's Golf Association, the PGA, the Golf Foundation and Sport England.

In Cumbria the partnership is supported by the Cumbria Ladies County Golf Association, the Cumbria Union of Golf Clubs, The Eden Valley Sports Partnership and the PGA North East/West.

For more details of the activities in Cumbria visit www.cumbriagolf.org/

For more information on the work of the Cumbria County  Golf Partnership contact Jane Robinson, County Development Officer, Cumbria County Golf Partnership.