A GIRL'S football festival will help celebrate the start of a school sports initiative.

The event, to mark the start of the Chester-le-Street School Sport Co-ordinator Partnership, will be held at the Riverside Sports Pavilion in the town from 9.15pm on Thursday.

It will be attended by Councillor Neil Foster, Durham Council Council's member with responsibility for sport, Chester-le-Street District Council leader Councillor Linda Ebbatson and headteachers, staff and pupils from local primary and secondary schools.

More than 300 students, aged between five and 18-years-old, will take part.

The centre of the partnership, which incorporates schools throughout the district, will be Roseberry Sports and Community College.

The fifth such partnership in County Durham, it will serve more than 5,000 young people.

One of its aims is to meet the Government's target of 75 per cent of all pupils taking part in at least two hours of high quality physical education per week by 2006, raising to 85 per cent by 2008.

The partnership is geared at improving the health and fitness of young people and helping talented pupils develop their skills and compete at the highest level.

Partnership development manager Andrew Scothern said: "These are exciting times for PE and school sport.

"Millions of pounds are being invested by the Government in response to concerns over young people's health.

"At last, they are recognising that physical activity and good health can be major factors in improving educational standards."