The PNE community department paid St Mary’s and St Benedict’s RC Primary School a visit on Monday to run a training session for lucky competition winners.
To encourage us all to eat five-a-day, SPAR - our Family Stand sponsors here at Deepdale, joined forces with the Lancashire Evening Post and asked youngsters to draw a piece of fruit or veg as a fun character to feature in the SPAR ‘Gimme 5’ five-a-side team.
With so many fantastic drawings, it was tough to pick a winner, but nine-year-old Milly-Lee Milligan was chosen by the judges and her entire class reaped the benefits with a first class training session at her school.
Speaking of the win, Mrs Lancaster, who teaches year’s four and five said: “It is a great initiative because they have been discussing healthy eating and keeping fit in their school topics.
“This combines both.”
As well as receiving a coaching session by our FA qualified staff, the school was provided with endless amounts of fruit to share around and Preston North End Education Officer Rachel Brennan was also fully supportive of the initiative, adding: “It is great to be part of an event which is promoting healthy eating and keeping young children fit.
“It is also nice for the children, linking healthy eating with helping you perform better in sport and fitness.”
Andrew Barnes, trading director at James Hall, SPAR Distributor for the north of England added his weight behind the project and it was so difficult to pick a five-a-side team that the rules were flaunted with ever so slightly.
He commented: “Healthy eating should be fun and it was great to see so many children getting involved in this competition.
“We had so many entries that it was difficult to choose just five winners to make up the final ‘team’ so we ended up including two substitutes and even a spectator!”
Along with the free fruit and coaching session, the entire class received a pair of tickets to PNE's home league match with Gillingham, the children proving a lucky charm for Simon and the boys who beat the Gills 3-1.
The winners
Winner Milly-Lee Milligan, aged 9, (Star Player)
Runner-Up James Sledge, 6, (Player)
Runner-Up Beau Smith, 10, (Player)
Runner-Up Kyle Paterson, 11, (Player)
Runner-Up Thomas Seed, 5, (Player)
Highly Commended Freida Neve Gilliat, 9, (Spectator)
Highly Commended Nicole McInnes,10, (Substitute)
Highly Commended Alicia Smith, 10, (Substitute)