PRIMARY schools are today invited to start bidding for cash for sporting facilities in a special Olympic-themed competition.

For the second year running, the Oxford Mail has teamed up with Abingdon-based construction company Leadbitter to offer one lucky school improvements or refurbishments worth up to £7,500.

Last year, North Kidlington Primary School was given a new bird hide in the school’s wild garden, and runner-up Eynsham Primary School benefited from a revamp of its swimming pool changing rooms.

This year, the focus for the School Olympic SOS Competition is on sports.

Leadbitter regional director Richard Nixon said: “We work all over Oxfordshire and surrounding areas doing lots of schools work so it is nice to have a chance to give something back.

“It’s all about inspiring young people to get involved with sport, hopefully striving for excellence and thinking about the Olympics in 2012.”

Applications can be for anything from changing rooms to swimming pool improvements, to viewing areas, to tennis nets, or for vital equipment or the refurbishment of existing facilities.

Mr Nixon said: “I would like to hear something that is slightly different, that has been well-considered by the children submitting it.

“We want to see photographs, drawings and as much information as possible so we can get our head around it and really get stuck into it, but it can be whatever is good for that school.”

Applications need to explain in detail what the project is for and what benefits it will bring in terms of sporting needs and helping achievements.

Details of how the project will be sustainable are also required.

Projects must not need planning permission or building regulations and should fall within a £7,500 budget for labour and materials.

Mr Nixon said: “We have been back to see both of the schools we helped last year and everybody is delighted. It is a win-win situation.

“If last year is anything to go by, I think it will be hotly contested.”

Schools have until Monday, June 7, to apply, then a panel of judges from Leadbitter and the Oxford Mail will meet on Wednesday, June 9, to select 10 finalists.

Each of the finalists will be profiled in the Oxford Mail and the race will then be on to collect as many tokens printed in the paper as possible.

The tokens will be published every day from June 16 to July 3, and because not every school is the same size, the number of tokens collected will be weighted according to the number of pupils at each school.