Six hundred school children get moving to celebrate ISU Figure Skating European Championships 2026

More than 600 children from 16 schools skated, danced and engaged in athletics at Ice Sheffield and the English Institute of Sport Sheffield (EISS) to mark the major sporting event which saw the best skaters in Europe take to the ice on January 13-18.

Youngsters aged between six and 12-years-old took part in a range of activities at the venues on the day, which are both run by Everyone Active in partnership with Sheffield City Council.

These included an ice-skating disco, an action-packed athletics session and an exciting opportunity to watch the best skaters in Europe practice their final preparations at Ice Sheffield ahead of the competition.

Pinders Dance Productions – a Sheffield-based community dance programme and Everyone Active Community Champion – also offered children a glow in the dark dance session.

In lead-up to the Championships, Sheffield City Council, in partnership with Everyone Active, UK Sport and British Ice Skating, launched a vibrant ‘legacy’ programme of activities to engage residents, schools and communities, ensuring opportunities were available to be part of the historic sporting moment.

The school visits form part of the council-funded initiative, and in total, more than 10,000 young people across Sheffield have been invited to join in with the activities being hosted throughout the legacy programme.

So far, these have included Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Ice Sports Open Days and school visits to attend the Christmas show – Defying Gravity – at IceSheffield.

The programme will continue with a six-week“learn to skate” initiative for local schools, giving children the chance to try ice skating and break down barriers to participation, which is currently running throughout January until Friday 13 March at the venue.

Shaun Lough, assistant contract manager at Ice Sheffield, said: “Welcoming so many children to Ice Sheffield and the English Institute of Sport Sheffield to celebrate such a spectacular sporting event in the city was fantastic. The ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2026 has been huge for Sheffield.

“We hope by engaging with schools to boost participation in ice skating, athletics and dance, that we’ve not only shared this fun and magic with young people, but also planted a seed of excitement for these kinds of sports.

“Partnering with Sheffield City Council to deliver the fantastic ‘legacy’ programme of activities means we’ll be able to continue this work and engage many more young people of all abilities in keeping active, more often.”

David Hartley, event director and British Ice Skating’s head of development, added: “At British Ice Skating, creating a lasting legacy from hosting the ISU Figure Skating European Championships in Sheffield was a top priority. Seeing so many young people from the local community step onto the ice, many for the very first time, was incredibly powerful and exactly the kind of impact we wanted this event to have.

“By bringing world-class figure skating to Sheffield and connecting it directly with schools and grassroots programmes, we hope to spark a lifelong love for the sport, inspire the next generation of skaters, and ensure an impact that will be felt for many years to come.”