BRIDGWATER & Taunton College recently held a 'Celebration of Sport' day.

Previously known as ‘The Varsity Games’, students from BTC and Richard Huish College would compete in a variety of sports, but Huish couldn’t participate this year, so the ‘Celebration of Sport’ was born.

The event was designed to encourage people to participate in sport and raise money for blood cancer research charity Bloodwise.

This is in memory of former colleague and founder of Team BTC, Luke Buckingham, who sadly passed away from Leukaemia in 2015.

Leading up to the event, fundraising started with a 24-hour spin marathon and cake sales, which raised more than £350.

On the day itself, students competed in a range of sporting events, including basketball, cricket, football, golf, hockey, netball, rugby and trampolining.

And it wasn't just students competing, as a staff team played a hockey fixture.

These games were played against either other colleges such as Exeter College and Kingston Maurwood, or against staff.

This year saw 'Team BTC Legends' play in the basketball, football and netball fixtures.

Overall £650 was raised to add to Luke Buckingham’s JustGiving page, which has now raised more than £92,000 since its inception three years ago.

Bob Buckingham, Luke’s father and Bridgwater Town FC vice-chairman, said: “'Gill and I were delighted when the Varsity Games was created back in 2016 as part of Luke's legacy, and excited to see it develop into a day so aptly entitled a Celebration of Sport.

"The event has captured Luke's spirit, his passion for sport and young people, and reinforces his inherent belief that #betterneverstops.”

“We are both humbled and grateful for the fundraising efforts for the charity Bloodwise, who continue to help fund research that will, one day, rid the world of the cruel and indiscriminate disease that is leukaemia.”

Team BTC manager Jamie Laird said: “It was a brilliant day to be involved in, as we managed to get all our performance sports involved, making it the biggest event we’ve done so far.

"It was great to have staff take part, as well as former students return to meet the new cohort and share their stories.

"Leah Burridge, Rosie May and the Team BTC Activators did a tremendous job raising money for such a great cause.”