THE Active Schools programme is going from strength to strength in Dumbarton and the Vale, according to new participation figures. 

Delivered in partnership with primary and secondary schools in the area, coordinators organise a range of sporting opportunities for young people, including the council’s flagship programme for school sport, the West Dunbartonshire School Games. 

West Dunbartonshire Council ran 105,727 participant sessions in the last year, involving 5,860 children and young people, who took part in a range of sports and physical activities in those sessions. 

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The number of “participant sessions” is calculated by adding together all of the sessions completed by each individual young person. This differs from the number of “activity sessions”, which are the number actually delivered by Active Schools coordinators. 

These participant sessions contributed to national figures soaring to an all-time high with 7.3 million participant sessions delivered across the country in 2017/18, according to the latest data published by sportscotland.

There has been a two per cent increase overall in the percentage of the school roll now participating in Active Schools sessions nationally. and a 6 per cent increase in the number of activity sessions, with 6,448 activity sessions delivered in West Dunbartonshire.

Councillor Jim Finn, chairman of West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust, said: “I am pleased to see Active Schools in West Dunbartonshire are improving year on year and the figures released by sportscotland clearly show how committed the team is in West Dunbartonshire. Our team can be proud in everything they’ve achieved this year and I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support to improving the health and wellbeing of children within our area.”

Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter:

Cllr Jim Finn said he was pleased with the results 

With more and more young people participating in sport and 2018 being the Scottish Government’s first ever “Year of Young People”, Active Schools are now aiming to recognise this by asking schools in West Dunbartonshire to nominate pupils who are excelling in sport.

As a result, Ahmad Barghouth from Clydebank High School has been named the young sport star of the month for September for his commitment to the school football team in 2017/18.

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Michelle Milton, Curriculum Leader for Health and Wellbeing at the school, said: “Ahmad has a fantastic attitude towards all sport. He is heavily involved in the school football team.

“In particular he was very committed to competing in the sports day finals, in which he had to compete in several events, even when fasting during Ramadan. Ahmad is a credit to himself.”

Pupils from Christie Park Primary helped celebrate the record fit last week.