County News

Longdon Hall School is a Get Set network school of the month!

Longdon Hall School is committed to using the Olympic and Paralympic Values to strengthen their school ethos of “Supporting pupils in reaching expectations”.

Longdon Hall focused on the Value of respect during National Anti-Bullying week and showed real determination when students tried golf for the first time. The special school has used Lego to create their own “Legolympics”, producing a video in IT of an opening ceremony, races, a medal presentation and a lap of honour.

Recently, students and staff worked with the Samaritans to send shoe boxes full of Christmas presents to a developing country. The country that receives the shoe boxes will be their Olympic and Paralympic country of focus.

Longdon Hall is also part of EDF’s sustainability project The Pod and recently participated in Switch Off Fortnight, a campaign to encourage whole school learning on energy saving, both in school and at home.

The school was selected as a Get Set network school of the month on the basis of an outstanding blog post describing the activities that the students have been involved in. The school will receive a letter of congratulations from Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and they will receive a surprise visit from a London 2012 guest!

If you would like to be in with the chance to be selected as the ‘Get Set Network school or college of the month’ and are not already a member of the Get Set Network, then apply today and start blogging!

Awards: Pool team is right on cue to offer fun times for all

THE Grocott Centre pool team are on a mission to get their hands on a new piece of silverware.

Players at the Fenton-based day care facility are having as big a battle to win a cup as England cricket team faced to win the Ashes during the 1990s.

Captain Ian Malkin prepares his side to take on a squad from North Staffordshire Special Olympics on a tension-filled night once every two months.

But, so far, they are yet to win since the competition was formed in early 2011 when former Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent Derek Capey donated a trophy.

Capey, a trustee at the Grocott Centre, picks up a cue himself to help Malkin's team, who have cerebral palsy or other physical or learning disabilities.

He said: "It is great fun. It can be difficult to find a chance to play sport and to see the smiles on everyone's faces as they get around the table.

"I used to spend an hour or so playing pool with two or three people at the centre most weeks and they always loved it, so I bought a trophy for them to play for.

"Now every time I go I have players who are desperate for another game against the Special Olympics team. They love the competition.

"We are not the best players but when action gets underway it is as if the team are playing for the World Cup. We would love to win it one of these days!"

Squads of five or six Grocott Centre users from different corners of the Potteries make up the numbers to challenge for the trophy.

The volunteer-run facility, which also organises activities such as gardening, yoga and tai chi, has been running for more than 50 years and moved to its present site in 1977.

Capey said: "It's a wonderful place and we are always looking for different ways in which we can help our users have fun."

The Grocott Centre pool team has been nominated in the Disability award category of The Sentinel/City of Stoke-on-Trent Sports Personality of the Year awards by North Staffs Special Olympics organiser Matt Fry.

Fry said: "There has been real excitement at both the Grocott Centre and with our members at the Special Olympics since Derek donated the trophy.

"We have a fantastic evening of fun every couple of months while competing for the chance to take the honours."

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