British figure skating champion Joe Buckland went back to where he first learnt the ropes on the ice to inspire Nottingham children.
Joe, 22, who took gold at the British championships back in 2014 with then-partner Olivia Smart, has represented the country in competitions across the world.
He returned to the place where he first got into the sport, Nottingham’s National Ice Centre (NIC), to help out at a school session where 100 local children took to the ice.
Since splitting from his skating partner Olivia earlier this year, Joe has been exploring other areas of the sport including coaching.
He said: “Having spent so many years focusing on my own career it has been great to turn my attention to the next generation of skaters. I have visited a number of schools in the area and now I am taking the next step joining sessions at NIC.
“I am still working on my own skating but it’s great to have the chance to pass some of my own knowledge on and see it help these younger skaters.”
Picture: Joe Buckland (right) speaks to children at the NIC earlier today
The NIC Schools Skating Programme is running for six weeks, teaching groups of school children the basics of the sport as well as building their confidence on the ice.
There is also a chance for any child who shows potential and gets the attention of the coaches to win further free classes once the programme ends.
NIC sports development officer, Matt Bradbury said: ” Some of the children taking part in the programme will never have stepped on the ice before but by the end they have grown massively in confidence and skill.
“As a local Nottingham boy, Joe inspires the children and they can see that with hard work they too can have a career on the ice.”
For children who are interested in trying out ice skating, the centre runs regular ‘Learn to Skate’ sessions, run by accredited coaches.
