Pom poms paraded at cheerleaders’ festival

RA ra ra: Concentration is the name of the game for those from Stanley Road Primary School (above)

THE hottest sport around brought glitz to Oldham as school pupils fell in love with cheerleading.

Four schools — St Hilda’s, St Herbert’s, St Mary’s Greenfield and Stanley Road — took part in the Failsworth Schools Partnership’s Cheerleading Festival at Westwood’s Millennium Centre.

In total 87 girls and three boys took part with all receiving certificates and St Herbert’s winning to scoop a trophy and medals. Five students from Oldham College helped support the event.

Oldham has been ones of the pioneering boroughs in the North-West for cheerleading.

Steve Tyrrell, event organiser and competitions’ manager at Oldham Sports Development, said: “They all loved it. It’s engaging youngsters in PE. Cheerleading could and should, and is in a lot of places, a fast growing sport. Girls love doing it.

“It’s a good sport and primary schools are really taking it on. In a few weeks you can get a really good performance together.”

RA ra ra: Concentration is the name of the game for those from Stanley Road Primary School (above)