SCHOOL sports across England's biggest county have been given a major financial boost.

The 2014 Sainsbury's School Games Festival in North Yorkshire is set to build on the success of previous years with the help of 45,000 of National Lottery funding.

The Local Organising Committee for North Yorkshire has been awarded the funding from Sport England It will be the culmination of year-round competitions, within schools and between schools, with the most talented athletes progressing to compete across more than 20 sports including athletics, beach volleyball, hockey and cycling.

North Yorkshire Sport Executive Director and LOC member David Watson said: "We aim to improve the festival and have included extra sports and competitions, as well as launching a competition for school aged children to design and name a mascot for sport in North Yorkshire.

"We are also really excited about the cycling event which will give an opportunity for all secondary schools in the county to take part in a local event and then progress to a county final at the University of York cycle track just two days before the Tour de France hits Yorkshire in July."

And Sport England spokesman Suzanne Glavin said: "The Sainsbury's School Games Festivals play a critical role in inspiring a generation of youngsters to play sport by providing them with opportunities to take part in competitive school sport.

"It also introduces talented athletes to high level competition, and with the help of the sport governing bodies, they are supported and signposted to further opportunities to compete and develop their talent."

The 2014 North Yorkshire games will be bigger than ever before with an expected 2,500 participants in the county level finals, supported by over 150 young people in the role of sports leaders and officials. The festival will take place at venues across the county between January and July.

The full calendar is available at northyorkshiresport.co.uk/school-games/2014schoolgames and details of the mascot competition at northyorkshiresport.co.uk/school-games/mascotcompetition.

You can also follow the games on Twitter by following @NorthYorksSport.