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Most Active Town winner launches Festival of Sport...

Most Active Town winner launches Festival of Sport

Having been crowned Suffolk’s Most Active Town 2019 last night, Our Bury St Edmunds isn’t standing still today (September 25) as it launches the town’s annual Festival of Sport on what is also National Fitness Day.

The ten-day annual event next month starts with a Sports Aid charity lunch and finishes with the town’s marathon and half-marathon. And sports clubs, fitness groups, classes and social exercise groups are all invited to sign up to the week, free of charge, to promote events and encourage new members during the Festival.

Our Bury St Edmunds Chief Executive Mark Cordell said: “The Festival of Sport was just one of many activities in Bury St Edmunds that helped the town win this accolade at the Suffolk Community Awards ceremony last night and I’m proud to launch this year’s event today and celebrate grass roots sporting achievements.

“As before, we want to include the villages around Bury too, so if you have sporting or exercise based activities during the half term week that people can get involved with, either as participants, volunteers or spectators, then please let us know and we’ll include them in our free website listings. Exercise, whether competitive or not is about much more than fitness levels, it can give a real feeling of well-being and is often recommended to alleviate mental health issues.”

The Our Bury St Edmunds Festival of Sport runs from October 18-27 and sports clubs who wish to put on an event or offer a come-and-try session can register their interest and have activities listed on the Festival’s website at no cost. It will focus on local sports clubs or groups and include free taster sessions for people looking to try a new activity.

Among the highlights of this year’s Festival of Sport is the HaverSports St Eds Running Festival which offers races over 10k, half-marathon and marathon distance. Charter Square in arc shopping centre will be the focus for many taster sessions during the week. For the armchair fan a Sports Aid Lunch takes place at the Athenaeum with the guest speaker cyclist Jess Varnish, a member of the world record holding European team sprint champions.

The Our Bury St Edmunds Festival of Sport is promoted by a partnership led by the Business Improvement District (BID) organisation Our Bury St Edmunds and including Abbeycroft Leisure and Suffolk County and West Suffolk Councils.

For more information visit www.ourburystedmunds.com/festivalofsport. If you are involved with a sports club or group and wish to include your event in the festival contact Our Bury St Edmunds on 01284 766258.