Neil Eddy, Rachel Knott, Ruth Grimmer, Tim Marrion, Julie Pointing, Emma Moore and Dan Lugg.

Exeter announces sponsorship of Cornwall School Games

The University of Exeter is to sponsor the Cornwall School Games for the next three years to enable more young people to be inspired by PE and school sport.

A new collaboration with Cornwall Sports Partnership (CSP) aims to engage young people of all ages and abilities in regular physical activity. The Games also have a strong inclusive element resulting in more meaningful opportunities being available for young disabled or disengaged people.

Staff from the Cornwall Sports partnership will use the expert research carried out at the University’s Centre for Environment and Human Health at the Knowledge Spa in Truro and world class Sports Science Department at St Luke’s campus in Exeter, as well the ever growing resource and facilities on its Penryn Campus to help children improve their performance.

Professor Mark Goodwin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Innovation and External Engagement) said of this new partnership: “The University of Exeter is delighted to be sponsoring the Cornwall School Games for the next 3 years. This is a fantastic initiative for young people of all ages in Cornwall. As The Times and The Sunday Times Sports University of the Year 2015/16, we understand the benefits sport can bring to everyone in terms of health and wellbeing, collaboration, raising aspirations and achieving personal goals.

"This award was in recognition of the University's academic and athletic achievements across a wide range of sports, and we have a special strength in children's health and exercise which makes it natural for us to have a close link with the Cornwall School Games. We are also very proud to have recently opened a new £4m sports facility on our Penryn Campus, which provides enhanced sport and leisure facilities for staff, students and the local community. We will be following the games across the year with interest and wish all participants the very best of luck, whatever they take part in.”

Tim Marrion, Cornwall School Games Manager from the Cornwall Sports Partnership commented: “This new partnership is great for Cornwall and will enable us to grow and sustain our annual programme of school games events enabling more young people from both primary and secondary schools to participate. The University of Exeter is a centre of excellence for sport and its involvement will ensure we continue to offer a comprehensive competitive sports programme for ALL young people in Cornwall.”

Both organisations hope this partnership will inspire young people to be the very best they can be and raise aspirations for those young people in education in Cornwall to consider university whether here in Cornwall or further afield.

This partnership was launched at the recent Cornwall Winter School Games held at Truro School and Penair School where over 1000 young people competed in four different sports.

To find out more about the Games, visit the Cornwall Sports Partnership website.

Date: 22 December 2016