CHILDREN are being offered the chance to take part in at least one hour of physical activity a week as part of a new project.

Youngsters on the Skerne Park estate, in Darlington, are being encouraged to be active for at least one hour a week for 50 weeks in a scheme run by the Skerne Park Youth and Community Centre.

The project, funded by NHS Darlington Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is aimed at 80 children and young people between the ages of five and 16 years of age and offers a range of activities such as football, basketball, karate and dance.

The Skerne Park Youth and Community Centre Association is a registered charity based on the estate and is run with the help of local volunteers.

They successfully applied for more than £11,000 funding from the CCGs £50,000 Community Innovations Fund, which was made available to local voluntary and community projects across Darlington to improve health and wellbeing.

Children taking part will also learn about healthy eating, how to make a healthy packed lunch and cooking on a budget.

Phil Seymour, community development worker, said: “We are delighted to secure the funding to help young people in Skerne Park take part in supervised sports activities.

"Learning to make good health choices at an early age can help prevent obesity and diseases such as diabetes and heart disease in the long term.

“The project aims to enhance the quality of life and the health of young people on the estate and receiving funding to do this from the NHS really helps tackle health problems at a grass roots level.”

For more information call Phil Seymour on 07943-086-802 or secretary Paul Harman on 01325-483259.