Sport England has awarded £180,000 of National Lottery funding for a project aiming to improve school sport in Somerset and Manchester.

The Engage to Compete initiative will see children's activity and sport provider Fit for Sport explore how schools in Manchester and Somerset can encourage more young people to play sport and get involved in the Sainsbury's School Games.

Set across four levels, Sainsbury's School Games is fully inclusive and has been designed to increase activity levels in sport across the school year via local class versus class sport sessions, school versus school competitions and county-wide sports festivals.

Levels of participation by school children in Somerset and Manchester, however, are amongst the lowest in the country.

Fit for Sport specialists has been tasked with improving this by training and mentoring teachers and support staff to provide pupils with better sporting opportunities.

Fit for Sport CEO Dean Horridge said: "The key to improving our nation's health is to engage and educate children from a young age, by providing school teachers and support staff with training, resources and on-going support.

Fit for Sport is a member of the recently launched The Compass Association (TCA), which supports and promotes physical activity and sports providers working with schools and local communities.

Martin Gallagher, TCA chief executive, said: "It's great to see Fit For Sport - a founding partner of TCA - working with Sport England on this project.

"Fit for Sport is a leading organisation who have over 20 years experience in the sector, Dean Horridge their CEO & Founder has a extensive background in sport and sport teaching"