THE SPAR Lancashire School Games have once again proved to be a huge success for teams competing from the east of the county after the Ribble Valley were crowned overall winners.

East Lancashire teams were regular visitors to the podium, winning seven titles between them while they finished in the top three in all but one of the 15 events.

The mass participation school event, the biggest event of its kind, took place at Stanley Park in Blackpool, where more than 1,800 youngsters from across Lancashire battle it out to be named county champions in 14 sports.

And Team East Lancashire wowed judges, bringing home a total of 17 medals in some of the events most highly fought-after titles.

East Lancashire schools secured first place in six sports, the highest number of gold medals throughout the whole of Lancashire, as well as six silver and five bronze medals.

This success was helped by Clitheroe Royal Grammar School which secured gold in both the girls and boys athletics competitions, naming East Lancashire pupils as the best athletes across the county.

The school also secured second place in girls’ cricket.

Burnley school, Blessed Trinity, also shot to success, stealing silver in the boys’ athletics tournament as well as bronze in tee-ball, while Crosshill Special School, represented Blackburn with Darwen, snatched gold in tee-ball, naming East Lancashire pupils as the best in the sport.

The success did not stop there for East Lancashire children, with Burnley-based St Mary Magdeline’s RC Primary School taking home gold in mini tennis and St Mary’s RC Primary School, Langho netting first place in high five netball after a full day of district tournaments.

However, it wasn’t just about the East Lancashire teams with ‘home’ borough Blackpool enjoyed their fair share of the success.

Highfurlong School won the Boccia while Blackpool also won the orienteering key stage three while St Theresa’s won the key stage three gymnastics.

Elsewhere, Tarleton Holy Trinity Primary School from West Lancs won the tag rugby beating the talented Blacko Primary School from Pendle who are previous winners of the competition.

And Chorley’s Holy Cross where pipped for honours in the handball which was won by Garstang School.

The Year Five and Six orienteering was won by St Peter’s (Heysham), Garstang School (Wyre) won the Year Nine rounders and Cardinal Allen won the girls cricket.

And in the only individual event, Preston’s Grace Kellett won the gymnastics.

The day was kick-started with a fun-filled performance from the X Factor 2014 finalist Jack Walton, while Rock FM’s Jordan North hosted the event this year.

Dancers from Parklands High School and Cardinal Allen Catholic High School entertained the crowds and the annual district parade created a sea of colour around the athletics track. GB Paralympic wheelchair fencer Justine Moore, Harry Newbold-Cozens, who is part of the GB gymnastics trampoline squad and Archie Brown, who is part of the GB karate team, were also on hand to give pupils top tips before they competed.

The SPAR Lancashire School Games, now in its ninth year, is part of the national £128m school games programme which aims to motivate and inspire millions of young people to take part in competitive school sport.

The event is implemented by the county’s school games organisers and Lancashire Sport Partnership’s Local Organising Committee (LOC).

It is sponsored by James Hall & Company Ltd, the SPAR distributors for the North of England.

Peter Dodding, sales and marketing director at James Hall & Company Ltd, said: “As a company dedicated to encouraging an active lifestyle and supporting school sport throughout the North West, “It’s great to see how our continued support of the county finals event helps to boost sport participation within Lancashire.”

The Lancashire School Games was the culmination of months of qualifying events held in boroughs across the county.

The sports included teeball, boccia, PAN disability football, Tag rugby, handball, orienteering (Year Five and Six), orienteering (Key Stage Three), boys and girls Super 8 athletics, girls football (Year Six), rounders (Year Nine), mini tennis (Three and Four),, netball (Year Five and Six), gymnastics (Year Three and Four), individual gymnastics and girls cricket.

Jane Johnson, school games organiser for Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, added: “The SPAR Lancashire School Games is a fully inclusive event allowing children of all abilities to get active while having fun.”

Andrew Mercer, who is the school games organiser for Blackburn and Darwen, added: “This year’s event has rounded off another great year of school sport in Lancashire. I would like to congratulate all those who competed in the SPAR Lancashire School Games county finals.”

Neil Stewart, school games organiser for Pendle, said seeing so many children enjoying themselves was worth all the hard work put in my school teachers and his fellow school games organisers.

He said: “ It was great to see so many children getting involved in school sport and the level of sportsmanship on display was fantastic to see.”