SEVEN years ago when teaching assistant Simon Grime was just 21 he joined the staff of a Burnley primary with the title ‘school sports co-ordinator’.

Since then he made it his mission, according to chairman of governors Rachael White, ‘to engage ALL pupils in fun, social activities’.

Combine that with the fact he is ‘enthusiastic, encouraging, motivating, empowering and a positive role model’ and you have some of the reasons why Simon is the first winner of the Unsung Hero of the Year category, sponsored by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, in the Lancashire Telegraph Schools Awards.

He goes more than the extra mile to involve every child at Wellfield Methodist and Anglican Church School, Ightenhill, in having a go at whatever sporting activity they fancy.

His day doesn’t end when the afternoon bell rings either.

“Simon regularly gives up vast amounts of his own time (anything extra-curricular is unpaid) during the week and also at weekends where he often supports our children when competing for their local clubs,” said Mrs White. As well as organising PE lessons and running before and after school clubs, Simon was instrumental in Wellfield joining the Burnley Schools Sports Partnership.

This has increased the variety of activities on offer including athletics, horse riding, tennis, tag rugby, tri-golf, kayaking, boxing, gymnastics, skateboarding, orienteering, dancing and even singing at Blackburn Cathedral as well as football and cricket.

Recently, when a voluntary inter-school cross country race was organised, some schools merely entered their best pupils but Simon encouraged all pupils to have a go and more than 50 boys and girls did.

He travels near and far to support school teams in tournaments and, with his encouragement, the Wellfield girls’ football team reached a final and got the chance to play at Turf Moor.

Simon also has his own weekly award, the only one not given by teaching staff. As well as sporting prowess, a pupil might be chosen for trying hard to learn how to catch a ball or because he had noticed older children helping the younger ones.

“Lots of people do lots of things at our school but Simon is extra special. He goes above and beyond the call of duty many, many times so that his pupils get to try different activities in different venues across the UK”, said Mrs White.

  • Judges also highly commended Tesco community champion Janet Ashworth for her work with Benjamin Hargreaves School, in Accrington, and Shenaz Patel, a governor at St James Church of England Primary School, Blackburn.