HUNDREDS of children from Newport took part in a sports event last week designed to keep them active.

More than 700 competitors from 12 of the city’s schools took part in the event which had been co-organised by Asda and charity Sports Leaders UK at the Newport International Sports Village.

As part of the event, young sports leaders ran the activities and encouraged younger children to take part.

The community life champion at Asda’s store in Pill, Caroline Jones, had received specialist training to support the event and talked to the competitors and encouraged them to take up healthy eating. Jackie Foster from the Asda Newport store also attended.

She said: “The sports leaders are local young people who have committed to volunteering and I was thrilled to support them with showing the school children how to fuel their activities with healthier snacks.”

The national development manager at Sports Leaders, Rob Guy, said his charity was seeking to keep the spirit of the London 2012 Olympics alive in communities all round the UK, including at the Newport flagship event.

As part of the initiative Newport Gwent Dragons and Newport County have sent representatives to go into schools to teach rugby and football skills.

Across the country the supermarket chain has worked with Sports Leaders UK to put on 400 of the days.

For more information on events at the Asda store in Pill, email community_pillgwenlly@asda.co.uk