The two weeks of action packed sport and leisure opportunities will kick off with the Gala Day on Sunday 22 June at Titchfield Park, Hucknall.

Special guests will be Graham Gooch, OBE, England cricket’s leading scorer and most capped player, and Sam Hynd, Ashfield’s very own World Record Holder.

Attractions planned for the day so far include a Disability Cricket challenge match between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire V Derbyshire Girls Football Centre of excellence challenge match, Linby Ladies V AFC Hucknall Ladies Challenge match, ‘Beat the Brocky Penalty shoot out’, netball tournament, nordic walking, orienteering, judo and boxing taster sessions. There will also be fun circus workshop skills, crazy golf, the Brocky and Peggy Roadshow and live steel band music to give the day a carnival cricket atmosphere.

The Gala day will also see the launch of ‘Active Ashfield', Ashfield’s newly formed Community Sports Network, providing a partnership approach to delivery of the ‘Active Lifestyles’ Strategy for Ashfield. The strategy’s action plan for 2007 -2012 includes increasing activity levels in sport and physical activity, improving and strengthening local partnership delivery, developing clubs and volunteers and raising the profile of the benefits of physical activity for health.

Following the Gala Sunday events and activities will take place across Ashfield, including Primary schools swimming finals, a tennis family fun day, boccia festival, a 50plus physical activity awareness session and lots of free activities in Ashfield District Council’s Leisure Centres.

The East Midlands Airport Nottinghamshire Youth Games, being staged in Ashfield for the second year running, on Saturday 5 July, will provide a fantastic finale to the Festival of Sport.

Select this link for a diary of all Festival of Sport events.