A COMMUNITY Centre in Pill is running special drop-in sessions to encourage youngsters to become more active.

A COMMUNITY Centre in Pill is running special drop-in sessions to encourage youngsters to become more active.

The sessions are being put on for people who feel excluded during PE lessons at school or for youngsters who do not enjoy sports.

Pill Resources Centre was given a grant from Awards For All to put on the sessions to enable youngsters to learn more skills and make use of the sports facilities in the village.

The multi skills drop-in sessions are held at St Katherine's School, in Ham Green, every Friday and are run by two coaches from the school.

Kirsty Claxton, the resource centre's youth worker, said: "It's been very frustrating that we've got a sports centre that young people haven't had a lot of access to.

"We set it up the group to try to get them to use the sports facilities at the school outside of lessons and to encourage youngsters to find different ways of exercising if they are not keen on sports.

"It's more about games and we want to introduce more outdoor activities in the summer like abseiling and orienteering."

The sessions are open to anyone aged 11 and over from the village as well as pupils from the school and staff can cater for up to 60 people.

Coaches come up with games and activities by using the equipment, ranging from bats and hoops to balls and frisbees and the youngsters can also have a go at circuit training, obstacle courses and netball.

The youngsters are also encouraged to think up their own fitness regimes and members have access to the gym, sports hall and outside facilities.

Rhian Tooker, extended schools co-ordinator in Pill, said: "We want to encourage people who don't always get involved in sports to come along.

"The youngsters can choose what they want to do. It's extremely informal and fun and it helps to build up their confidence and teaches them new skills."

Pill Resource Centre also runs cookery courses for youngsters as part of its healthy eating initiative.

The multi skills club has funding for a year, but organisers hope to continue the sessions if they are successful and open them up to younger pupils from Crockerne Primary School, in Westward Drive, to help them prepare for secondary school and mix with older pupils.