OLYMPIC hockey player Kate Walsh has welcomed sports funding intended to improve PE in primary schools and hopes the extra cash will engage people in sport from an early age.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds will be invested in primary schools across Berkshire from next month, with Reading Borough receiving an extra �319,600 and West Berkshire schools an extra �577,700 to transform school sport.

The �150 million of government funding, which will last for two years initially, is based on a lump sum for each school with a top-up based on the number of pupils at the school.

The money will be ring fenced so that it can only be spent on sport and will be paid directly into the hands of heads and teachers who will decide where the money will go.

Reading hockey club player and Olympic bronze medallist Walsh said: "I'm always grateful to hear that money is being ring-fenced to aid children being active whatever form that may take.

"I think it will be very dependent on how the money is spent as to how much of a difference it'll make."

A typical primary school with 250 pupils would receive �9,250 per year - the equivalent of two days a week of a primary teacher or a coach's time.

"Specialist trainers, coaches and instructors have the knowledge and the passion about specific sports and activities to engage children," said Walsh.

"They will also be able to forge links with the schools and children to ensure that they have the knowledge and information needed to be able to continue doing these sports or activities away from school."

Walsh, who has visited Wellington College, St Mary's College, Ascot and Cox Green School in Maidenhead since the Olympics, added: "I think children have been engaged by the Olympics and now physical activity needs to be available and accessible for everyone to really make a difference.

"I also think that if being active is a part of life from an early age, children are more likely to carry that forward as they grow up.

"Being active is so important and aids growth mentally, physically and socially."

Get Berkshire Active promotes the benefits of sport and physical activity across Berkshire and chief executive Mark Lawrie believes the extra cash will be invaluable in encouraging the next generation.

"It's great that there's going to be some dedicated resources going into primary schools," he said.

"To help teachers gain more confidence and for schools to bring in specialists will be extremely valuable."

He says the lack of specialist sports training and facilities are the main barriers to providing a good sports programme, and that is where the extra money needs to be channelled.

"You have to change the way that schools view physical education for it to have an impact."

However, he stressed that to have a lasting effect the resources need to continue to be ring-fenced for several more years.

Get Berkshire Active work with the eight School Sports Networks across the county as well as national governing bodies to offer sport in schools.