Pictured above: (l-r) Aaron McAdoo (12) and Andrew Warburton
(14), with Justine Hewitt and John Ledwidge from the venue, and
Morgan Wilkinson (12), Joseph White (12)
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."