The West of England, Wales, Tyne and Wear and Sheffield are to host the prestigious UK School Games in the run up to 2012, the Government announced.

The announcement was made as Chancellor Gordon Brown, Culture Secretary and Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell and Sports Minister Richard Caborn watched an exhibition of school sports at Grey Coat Hospital School in London.

Ms Jowell also announced a new youth volunteering scheme, with the charity v funding a Youth Sport Trust programme to give more than three thousand 16 - 18 year-olds the chance to become sports officials such as judges and umpires.

The UK School Games is a multi-sport event for the nation's most talented school age athletes. Launched last year, they will be held every year until 2012 and are designed to replicate the feel of events like the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, with opening and closing ceremonies and athletes' villages.

The Government announced that the Games will be held in:

• the West of England (Bath and Bristol) in 2008;
• Wales (Cardiff, Swansea and Newport) in 2009;
• Tyne and Wear (Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland) in 2010 and
• Sheffield in 2011.

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