FAMILIES living near Prime Minister Tony Blair were set a sporting challenge at the launch of a £200,000 games pitch and play area on Saturday.

A mini-Olympics opened a summer programme of events at the centre, which is yards from Mr Blair's constituency home in Trimdon Colliery.

The village community association was behind the new facilities, which Mr Blair officially opened last October.

To complete the project, the group intends to replace a rundown wooden community centre with a £500,000 building.

Councillor Lucy Hovvels, who chairs the association and is mayor of the Sedgefield Borough, said the aim was to encourage families to adopt healthy lifestyles and get more children playing sport.

She said: "It has cost £200,000, but it is worth every penny.

"We have to invest in young people because this type of activity strengthens the community by bringing people together.

"With the London Olympics coming up, the time is right to encourage them to be more active.

"We have parents involved and young people from the E2E training programme acting as volunteers."

The borough council gave £123,000 to the project and Barclays Spaces for Sports contributed £50,000.

The association worked closely with environmental group Groundwork East Durham.

The pitch was named the Owen Willoughby Multi-Use Games Area after a late football coach and Tottenham Hotspur scout who lived in the village.

Coun Hovvels said: "There was nothing in Trimdon and now we have provided something that is accessible to everyone.

"We are also determined that it should be sustainable and have arranged a programme of activities to keep people interested."

The next event is on Tuesday, May 29.