City kids turned budding reporters
18th March 2011
City kids turned budding reporters
A GROUP of budding young reporters descended on the home of Coventry City to interview the people behind hosting Olympic football at the venue during London 2012.
Around 30 pupils from Whitley Abbey School in Abbey Road, Coventry, visited the venue which will be called the City of Coventry Stadium during London 2012, to interview head groundsman John Ledwidge, Justine Hewitt, the venue’s event’s manager, and Will Bastin from the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership for the 2012 Games.
The visit was part of the BBC’s School Report project and saw the youngsters quiz their interviewees on camera about the challenges they face during the build-up to London 2012 and when the Olympic football tournament is held at the City of Coventry Stadium which will host a total of 12 matches in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Over 800 schools across the UK are taking part in BBC News School Report which gives 11 to 14 year-old students in the UK the chance to make their own news reports for a real audience and it is the third successive year Whitley Abbey has been involved.
The children’s report on the visit and the Olympics coming to Coventry in 2012 will be linked from the BBC News website and is likely to be broadcast during a regional BBC News bulletin as part of BBC School Report day on Thursday, March 24.
Justine said: “It was great to meet the children and tell them about how Coventry will be the first English city to host an Olympic event during London 2012 with the first match taking place on July 25 – two days before the opening ceremony in London.
“It will also be one of only three venues to host a medal match when it stages the women’s bronze medal match on August 9 and the children were very interested to hear about all the planning that goes into staging an event of this size.”
Minh Nguyen, learning resource centre manager at Whitley Abbey School, said the children would take a lot away from the project and enjoyed their visit to the venue.
“Since they started this project I have seen many of the children open up and come out of their shells as well as learn valuable skills such as teamwork, leadership and discipline,” she said.
“The pupils also did all the research for the stories themselves and it has helped to give them an understanding of all the exciting and important things that are happening in the area.”
To apply for tickets to any of the matches at the City of Coventry Stadium visit www.tickets.london2012.com
