What is your role in the delivery of the UKSG?

I am the Host Cities Coordinator for Bristol and Bath and am the main point of contact for both the event organisers, Fast Track and the Youth Sport Trust.  I am also responsible for delivering a Community Development Programme alongside the main event which engages our communities in cultural activity as well as community and school sport. I work for the West of England Sport Trust which sits at the heart of an extensive network of organisations dedicated to sport and physical activity development and my role includes maximising the opportunities for this network across the West of England.

What is a typical day for you in the organisation of the UKSG?

Typical is not a work you could associate with the delivery of the UK School Games. Everyday is different but I spend alot of my time liaising with the event organisers to ensure they know who to speak to about various aspects of the event. I also work on associated activity such as school sports competitions and cultural events and work with local media to promote all aspects of the UK School Games. Everything I do is focused on making the event the best it can be and maximising the impact for our local communities and young people in particular.

Why is Bristol and Bath such a good place to host the games?

Bristol and Bath and the wider West of England has a tremendous network of organisations all dedicated to improving the provision of sport and physical activity opportunities for young and old alike. We have some of the best sporting facilities in the country dedicated to sporting excellence from the Universities of Bath, Bristol and the West of England to our further education colleges and schools. The network of national governing bodies, schools local authorities and sports clubs all work tirelessly to promote opportunities to our young people in particular and therefore bringing the UK School Games to the West have significant knock on benefits for the development work already going on in the sub-region.

The Games is also about the spectator experience and where better to host an Olympic style event than between Bath, a World Heritage Site and Bristol, a centre of cultural in its own right where the friends and family of athletes have a great experience 24 hours a day.

What do you hope Bristol and Bath will get out of hosting the games?

We are keen to show the rest of the UK that the West of England is somewhere which welcomes and can deliver significant sporting and cultural events, however for us the UK School Games is not just an event for the best young athletes from around the UK. We are excited about welcoming these competitors to the West and hope that they will inspire our young people to start, stay and succeed in sport. We have already delivered a significant Community Development Programme in the West including a number of multisport school sport festivals and the UK School Games provide us with an opportunity to show our young people what could be achieved. We are also keen to blur the lines between sport and culture and shall be putting on Project 360 – Urban Arts Revolution which will showcase activities such as parkour and skateboarding in the centre of Bristol as a kick start to Bristol’s cultural Olympiad.

Did you play sport at school?

Getting on a bit now, I think back fondly to when I could leap around the badminton court. Nowadays I am a bit of a serial spectator with a passion for rugby (what you’d expect from a resident of Bath).

What sports are you looking forward to watching at the UKSG?

Having experienced the atmosphere at the Volleyball in Coventry I am looking forward to us uping the volume in Bath this year. As well as Volleyball, I shall also be watching Fencing with interest as a  local athlete will be competing for a grand slam of UKSG gold medals.

Do you have any message to those competing in the UKSG?

Welcome to the West. This years Games will be unforgettable for all the best reasons.