RECORD NUMBERS of Coventry children took part in sports, games and leisure activities over the summer holidays.
Coventry Sports Foundation saw participation figures increase by more than 50 per cent compared to last year, with programmes in performing arts, outdoor activities, trampolining and swimming proving most popular.
The charitable foundation runs three leisure centres across the city – the Alan Higgs Centre in Allard Way, Centre AT7 in Bell Green Road, and Xcel Leisure Centre in Mitchell Avenue – with the outdoor activity schedule at Centre AT7 fully books before the summer had even started.
New Disney activity classes including a Frozen-themed day also sold out in advance with children aged four to 11 eager to dress up as their favourite character and participate in arts, crafts, singing and dancing.
Swimming participation at the Foundation also increased, bucking the national trend, with youngsters able to take part in water polo workshops, synchronised swimming, pre-school pool parties and diving workshops.
A family day out to Weston Super-Mare also sold out quickly with four coaches full of people attending the popular seaside resort for a day at the beach.
Wendy Jackson, community development manager at Coventry Sports Foundation, said the charity had been running the summer activities programme for a decade under the belief that activities are a great way for children to develop and grow.
She added: “Every year we ensure that we include a wide variety of activities so that the children have a fantastic opportunity to try something new and of course make lots of friends.
“With an average of 180 children attending each centre every day for activities it was wonderful to see so many children having a good time.”
Ms Jackson said that while the summer holidays often proven a difficult time for some parents who needed to arrange childcare, the sports programmes were the ‘perfect way’ to keep local children active and occupied.
She added: “It is always great to find out that we are attracting more children every year and to see what activities they are enjoying most.
“We will be hoping to continue this success into the October half-term where we will be hosting a similar activities schedule across our leisure centres once again.”
More information on future events at the Coventry Sports Foundation can be found online at www.covsf.com/
