Olympics unites Fearns and Malaysia

Date published: 10 April 2010

Olympics unites Fearns and Malaysia

STUDENTS from Rossendale and Malaysia are forming links as part of the 2012 London Olympics.

Fearns Community Sports College and SMK Ranau, in Sabah, Borneo will be working closely for the next three years as part of International Inspiration.

The programme, led by UK Sport, aims to leave a lasting legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic Games for children and young people around the world.

Director of Specialism Jane Leigh and headteacher Mark Smallwood spent five days in Sabah working closely with SMK Ranau.

Miss Leigh said: “The school is a similar size to Fearns with around 800 pupils but has 13 different races and religions.

“It is a stunning country and everyone was so friendly. They are culturally diverse and so embrace difference. I think Fearns’ association with the Malaysian school will have a positive impact on our students who will learn a great deal while also having fun.”

The Malaysian flag will be flying above the school in Fearns Moss, Stacksteads, from April 17 as Fearns welcomes SMK’s principal Yahadi Yasili and head of PE Mohusyen Amin to the school for a week.

Year eight students have already written letters for their counterparts in Borneo and these will be presented to the principal. The delegation will also visit Tor View and Balladen Primary during the week-long stay.

Miss Leigh said: “We will be devising a series of measurable sports and carrying out our own virtual ‘mini-Olympics’ between our school and SMK. We will communicate via the Internet and have sport journalists on either side writing up the activities.
“The aim is to promote sport and also to develop literacy.”

In the UK 150 schools are involved in the project and the ambition is to reach 12 million children in 20 countries by 2012.

Chairman of London 2012 Seb Coe said: “Our vision is to use the power of the games to inspire change – changing lives is the driving force behind out plans. We took a very clear promise to Singapore – to encourage the youth of the world to choose sport – and Fearns involvement is another key step towards delivering that promise.”