Rubber ducks making a splash at Community Games

Hundreds of rubber ducks are gearing up to paddle their way to the finishing line at a Bournville Community Games duck derby this weekend.

The throng of 200 yellow ducks will be dropped into a stream at Bournville Park at the Community Games event, taking place on Sunday (September 9), in the park.

They were supposed to take the plunge back in July but heavy rainfall meant the event had to be postponed.

Community Games-goers are invited to adopt a duck for the day in a bid to win top-notch prizes if their duck bobs its way to the finishing line first.

The event is being organised by Bournville Infant and Junior School’s Home School Association (HSA) and in particular dad David Roberts who lives in the village.

The event kicks off at 12pm until 3.30pm.

The business director decided to organise the event after learning about the nation-wide Community Games initiative.

The grassroots project started in the West Midlands by Legacy Trust UK to create a lasting legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but the project was so successful it’s been rolled out nationally and supported by the Cabinet Office’s Social Action Fund.

Community Games are being delivered by the YMCA and The County Sports Partnership Network – which invites people to organise events in their areas in a bid to unite families and communities.

Mr Roberts said:

“I am really looking forward to Bournville’s Community Games. The link with the school’s Picnic in the Park was an obvious one.

I believe anything is possible when a community comes together.

We have a host of events taking place throughout the day, including sport tasters, community games and arts and crafts.

We anticipate the day will be a roaring success and can’t wait for the duck derby.”

Dad to five-year-old James who attends Bournville Infant School, David, said he was motivated to put the event together after hearing about the story behind the movie, Tortoise in Love.

He said he was inspired to do something in his local community after hearing the film’s writer, Guy Browning, struggled to get funding to make the romcom.

Instead he enlisted the help of his community in return for shares in the movie.

Debbie Deane, Physical Activity Lead at Birmingham Sport and Physical Activity Partnership said:

“The Birmingham Sport and Physical Activity Partnership is delighted Bournville is hosting one of the thousands of Community Games events taking place all over England.

It’s great to see people engaging in their communities and we hope the event on Sunday will inspire more people to set up their own Community Games.”

For more information please log on to www.communitygames.org.uk

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

KEY FACTS:

Community Games:

• The Community Games programme was launched in the West Midlands in 2009 and was originally funded for three years by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

• Since its launch more than 750 games have already taken place involving more than 500,000 people.

• Community Games is inspired by the Wenlock Olympian Games founded by Dr William Penny Brookes in 1850 and still held annually in Much Wenlock, Shropshire. The Wenlock Olympian Games were the inspiration behind the modern Olympic and Paralympic Games when Baron Pierre du Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic movement, visited the games in 1890. The Community Games programme pays homage to a community event that inspired a global event, and now uses that global event to inspire a new raft of community events.

 Legacy Trust UK:

• Legacy Trust UK is an independent charity set up to create a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from London 2012 in communities across the UK.

• The Trust is funded by a £40 million endowment from the Big Lottery Fund (£29m), Department for Culture Media and Sport (£6m) and Arts Council England (£5m), and is a Principal Funder of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival. www.legacytrustuk.org

The YMCA:

• Founded 168 years ago, the YMCA in England is made up of 121 member YMCAs working to ensure that young people have opportunities to thrive and contribute positively to their communities.

• YMCA operates in over 530 different communities in England impacting upon the lives of over 500,000 people every year.

• Every night YMCAs provide over 9,000 beds for young people. The YMCA is the largest voluntary sector provider of safe, supported accommodation for single men and women aged between 16-30 years old.

• The YMCA enables nearly 24,000 people every year to engage in education, skills and training to enable them to improve their opportunities in the job market.

• The YMCA is the largest voluntary sector provider of health and wellbeing services promoting physical activity.

• For further information please visit http://www.ymca.org.uk

The County Sports Partnership Network (CSPN):

• The County Sports Partnership Network brings together 49 County Sports Partnerships from across England, and is responsible for supporting the delivery of national sports policy at a local level by shaping it to the needs of local communities.

• The CSPN contributes to the health of the nation by helping local people lead healthier, active lives.

• The CSPN brings together the knowledge and expertise of a range of local delivery partners – including local authorities, clubs and schools – which enables it to use resources in the most efficient way possible to deliver sport in local communities.

Donna Roddy, Citydesk Sport, on behalf of Community Games.

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