Date: 09/01/2007
The pupils and staff of Gamesley Primary School have been training hard for a British Heart Foundation Jump Off, a sponsored skipping challenge, being held on Wednesday, January 17, 2007, at Gamesley Primary School.
The Jump Off event will form part of a health week, being organised in conjunction with Gamesley Community Centre"s Healthy Living Project.
About 120 pupils, aged between five and 10 years, will put on their trainers for the Jump Off, to showcase their skills, which they have been developing with teacher, Miss Sharman.
Gamesley Primary School is taking part in the skipping challenge as part of a national Jump Rope for Heart Initiative, organised by the British Heart Foundation, the nation's heart charity.
The scheme promotes the importance of maintaining a healthy heart through regular exercise, while raising vital funds for schools, as well as for pioneering research into the causes of heart disease in men, women and children.
Lisa Jowitt, Healthy Living Project Co-ordinator, said: "Preparing for the Jump Off has given pupils at Gamesley Primary School a reason to get moving, not to mention having lots of fun. The Jump Rope for Heart scheme helps us to encourage healthy habits, whilst also creating a more active ethos in school."
Councillor John Pritchard, Executive Member for Community and Social Development, added: "This is a wonderful initiative for teachers, their pupils and the school. Skipping is a very inexpensive way of keeping fit and active and is also a lot of fun. The event is helping to raise much needed funds for both the school and the national charity, so we hope lots of local people will get involved by sponsoring the pupils."
If you would like to sponsor the pupils for this skipping event, or find out more about the health week, please call Lisa Jowitt on 01457 869038.
Over the last 19 years, 16,000 schools and children's groups have taken part in the Jump Rope For Heart Initiative, which has raised more than £8.4million for the nation's heart charity.
It has also raised £2.8 million for the participating schools and groups as a quarter of the money raised is kept by the school or group, as well as the skipping kit, which contains equipment worth more than £100.
The 25 per cent raised by the event will be split 50-50, with half kept by the school and half donated to the Gamesley and Glossop District Healthy Heart Group, which meets at Gamesley Community Centre on the third Tuesday of each month.