Through the programme, Wigan Athletic Community Trust is working with over 450 children at nurseries across the Borough.

Pre-school children at Care Love Learn Nursery in Wigan take part in Sports Day to celebrate Father’s Day with their parents
Initiative is funded by Wigan Council and helps children become ‘school ready’ ahead of their transition to primary school.
“They’re a lot happier within themselves and their mental wellbeing has sky-rocketed.” – Emma Jeffrey, Deputy Manager at Care Love Learn Nursery.

Youngsters at Care Love Learn Nursery in Wigan experienced their first ever Sports Day last week as a way to celebrate Father’s Day with their parents.

Based in Wigan, the Nursery is one of 30 that Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s Kids on the Move programme is working with to help youngsters become ‘school ready’.

Through the event, the pre-schoolers were able to showcase the new skills they have learned through the programme in various sporting activities, including running and balancing tasks that allowed their parents to engage with them, something that has not been able to happen in nurseries since before the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Manager at the Nursery, Emma Jeffrey said,

“Since Craig has started working with us, the children’s fine and gross motor skills have massively developed. They’re a lot happier within themselves, their mental wellbeing has sky-rocketed.

“We had limited resources and since having the Kids on the Move project, we’ve got lots of resources. The children are outside all the time and you can just see how much they’ve developed. They’re writing their names, they’re writing CVC words and they’ve been able to do very advanced physical activities.

“Just to see that one-on-one with the children and their parents is absolutely fantastic, everybody’s had such a great day and the activities have been amazing for both children and parents.”

Launched in 2018, following a successful pilot scheme, the project works with pre-school children to prepare them for their transition to primary school with a focus on developing personal and social skills and their communication and language.

For more information on Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s Kids on the Move programme, please email c.mahon@wiganathletic.com or call 01942 318090.

Community | Youngsters at Care Love Learn Nursery take part in first ever pre-school Sports Day thanks to Kids on the Move Programme!