THE Lancashire Youth Games has been saved from the scrap heap thanks to Lottery funding.

Organisers of the event have secured £20,000 for the Games which this year is 'going back to basics'.

The popular annual event was in danger of folding after a number of borough councils decided not to enter teams for this year's competition.

But a total of 10 councils from across Lancashire have now supported the event, including all six East Lancashire local authorities -- Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Burnley, Pendle, Ribble Valley and Rossendale.

The event moves away from Witton Park for the first time and will take place on one site at Edisford Bridge, Clitheroe, on Saturday, June 30.

A steering group has been set up to oversee the Games, heading by Hyndburn Borough Council's sports development officer Sue Else.

The voluntary group will also include Jimmy Khan, representing Central Lancashire, and Richard Haywood, representing the Coastal boroughs.

Mrs Else said: "We decided that rather than pay someone to co-ordinate the event we should set up a voluntary steering group and share the responsibility." The event will concentrate on just four sports; girls football, cricket, rugby, and swimming plus disabled sports. It follows the Active Sports Programme set up by Sport England and followed by Lancashire Sport.

Mrs Else added: "This year you could say we are going back to basics and are concentrating on just four sports. We believe the Lancashire Youth Games are a lot more structured and focused now. We are delighted to have found a new venue and that all the sports will now take place on one site. We will be looking to include more sports in future years and next year we are already looking at introducing athletics and basketball." Boroughs and now holding trials for the event and Hyndburn Borough Council will hold tag rugby trials at Hollins High School on Monday, June 4-6pm and at Norden High School on Friday, June 8 (4-6pm).