DOZENS of free tickets were handed out to schoolchildren across the town last week as part of Swindon Wildcats’ Kidzone Ticket scheme.

Star players including Tyler Plews and Renny Marr joined Wildcats’ community development officer Dave Ridley to distribute the tickets to schools including King William CE and Mountford Manor.

Plews, 22, was on hand at King Williams to answer pupils’ questions about the all-action sport of ice hockey before posing for photographs ahead of Bracknell Bees’ visit to the Link Centre on Saturday – a game which Aaron Nell’s side convincingly won 5-0.

Netminder Marr, meanwhile, made the trip to Mountford Manor – a school where Cats skipper Sam Bullas currently teaches.

Community officer Ridley hopes both events provided pupils with a great opportunity to get up close and personal to the club and its team.

Ridley said: “It’s great that we are able to attend multiple schools in the area and give free tickets to the students and discounted tickets to their parents through our Kidzone scheme.

“We are very lucky to have players that are so inspiring and represent the club well both on and off the ice.

“We would like to thank King William CE and Mountford Manor for inviting us to host interactive assemblies and bring ice hockey closer to the pupils.”

Netminder Renny Marr added: “It’s great to be able to join the community team. The schools and their staff are really welcoming.

“I left feeling that the kids were excited to come to a game. The staff that run the community programmes are well known in a lot of schools for being fun, so it’s nice to see and be a part of it.”

Both Marr and Plews remained at both schools after their respective assembles to complete an hour-long street hockey session with the pupils.

The club’s Community Kidzone scheme is for local schools and community groups where chil-dren aged 15 or younger are invited to watch a selected game for free – those aged over 16 receive discounted tickets priced £10.

Contact Dave.Ridley@swindonwildcats.com for further information about the Wildcats’ Kidzone scheme.