Praise has been given to Penryn College for their work in encouraging youngsters to take part in sport.

Sports minister Richard Caborne visited the college to unveil a National Lottery Blue Plaque to mark the opening of its new Lottery funded sports facilities.

The multi-use games area, which will provide a floodlit space for football, hockey, rugby, athletics and "kwick cricket", was designed and built following a National Lottery grant of £308,000 from Sport England.

In an exclusive interview for the Packet, Mr Caborne said: "Really I came to look at Penryn College because it's one of the best in the country. The way they have been able to use sport and physical activity to deliver on the curriculum and also in terms of social issues is probably second to none. They are all to be congratulated, from the head downwards, and the governing body as well. I think all this shows that where sport is an integral part of the ethos there's less truancy and exclusion."

He said that sport should play a wide role in the community, as it encouraged people to volunteer and promoted a group spirit.

Marie Hunter, headteacher of Penryn College, said: "We are proud to be making a difference in this community. It is not always easy to engage young people but this new Lottery funded facility will help committed community workers and teachers reach more people through sport."

She added that previous lottery funded programmes, such as the "summer university" - where older pupils provided activities for younger ones - had proved "extremely successful". She believed the school had played an important part in motivating youngsters and even helped to reduce the crime rate in the area.

Jim Clarke, regional director for Sport England South West, said: "Sport England Lottery investments like this one play a major role in helping young people in Cornwall to get active and increase their participation in sport and physical activity.

"They are also key to developing the sporting stars of the future. It would be fantastic if we were to see local athletes from the college go on to compete in a London Olympic Games in 2012."