Sponsored kit gives these Shropshire pupils a sporting boost
Pupils at a small rural primary school in Shropshire have been given their own officially sponsored sports kit - so they can now play like the professionals.
Teams from St George's Primary School in Clun will be turning up to matches looking every bit the sporting professionals, thanks to tracksuits donated by farming insurance firm NFU Mutual.
Jane Graham of the parent teacher association, who has two children aged five and seven at the school, said: "A request came through from the teachers asking would the PTA be able to fund a set of of school tracksuits.
"Now primary schools are doing more inter-school sports, a lot have their own tracksuit and St George's doesn't have one.
"We looked around and the Ludlow branch of NFU Mutual agreed to buy us some.
"They were very good, they provided the money to get these done and provided a contact for Stitches of Bridgnorth to do the embroidery which is good - they're a local firm and they came up with the best product and the best price.
"There's an NFU logo on one side and a St Georges logo on the other."
The tracksuits are black with a red flash to tie in with the school uniform, which is a red top and black trousers, she said.
"There are enough for a big team and different sizes so hopefully they will last the school quite a while," Mrs Graham said.
"The children thought it was brilliant. One said to me they always had to turn up in our PE kit while the others had their own tracksuits, so now they'll look more professional.
"He said 'Man Utd are sponsored, Arsenal are sponsored, and now we are'."
She said having the kit had inspired the pupils.
"I was astonished at the difference it was making," she said.
Julia Sadler, NFU group secretary, visited the school to present the tracksuits and give a talk to the pupils about why the insurance firm, which covers farmers in the Clun area, agreed to support the school.
"It was a sharing assembly where every class says what it has been doing in the week and shares their work. Julia really enjoyed it and stay until the end."
The tracksuits will be first put to use during an upcoming netball tournament, she said.
