Ilkley students will fly the flag for sport during visit to India (From Ilkley Gazette)

Ilkley students will fly the flag for sport during visit to India

9:00am Saturday 12th January 2013 in Local news

Olympic pennants from Skipton High Street will cross the world next year with pupils from Ermysted’s Grammar School.

A group of 30 boys – one of them from Ilkley and another of them a former Ilkley Grammar School student – will be spending a month in Ladakh, India, next summer with True Adventure, a travel company that organises community-based projects.

While they are there, in addition to travelling around the country they will spend time working on a sports-based project. The idea is that the pennants can be used as part of an opening ceremony and continue the Olympic spirit.

Each of the boys, including Ilkley’s Ben Jacques and fellow former Ilkley Grammar School student, Henry Sturgeon, have to raise over £3,000 for their travelling expenses.

They are also hoping to attract donations from businesses, such as sports equipment, to take out to the village community.

Henry, who recently organised a fundraiser at the school featuring Everest climber Mike Trueman, said the idea was to complete a sports- based project, such as a children’s park with sports facilities.

The boys have also considered archery, cricket and football and hope to develop long-standing links between Ermysted’s Grammar school and the part of India they are going to.

Anyone able to help the boys with their project can contact Henry at sturgeonhenry@gmail.

com.