Junior Strawberry Club takes off in Bridgwater

Release Date: 05/01/2011

A new social club aimed at children and teenagers with learning difficulties and disabilities is being launched in Bridgwater thanks to Somerset Leisure.

The Junior Strawberry Club for 11-16 year olds opens its doors on Monday 24th January at Chilton Trinity Sports Centre. (4pm-5.30pm)

The club will offer a variety of fun activities from trampolining, football, badminton and curling to games and arts and crafts.

The new junior club is being launched following the extraordinary success of the Strawberry Club which was set up for adults with learning difficulties and disabilities five years ago at Chilton Trinity Sports Centre. The adult Strawberry Club attracts around fifty members to the regular Monday evening sessions at Chilton Trinity Sports Centre and was the model for other Strawberry Clubs which have also been rolled out at six leisure centres across Somerset which are managed by Somerset Leisure, a non profit making charitable trust.

Jim Hill, the Leisure Service Manager at Chilton Trinity Sports Centre says that the club has proved to be such a success with adults that we wanted to offer a similar service to a younger age group; “During the past five years, the Strawberry Club has gone from strength to strength and our members absolutely love it. They turn up whatever the weather and are all so enthusiastic about what we do. Apart from the activities within the sports centre, we also organise outside trips and we did not want local young people to miss out from the benefits of belonging to such a social club.”

58 year old Andrew Gordon from Highbridge is an enthusiastic member of the adult Strawberry Club and he impressed the staff at Chilton Trinity Sports Centre with his attitude and abilities that he now acts as a volunteer member of staff. He cycles from his home in Highbridge every week to be at the club and he says being part of the Strawberry Club has made a real difference to his life; “I like everything at the club, especially badminton and Trampolining, and meeting with all my friends which is very important to me".

The cost of the club is £2.75 per week but Chilton Trinity Sports Centre will accept vouchers from the Give It Ago Government funding scheme. For more details about the Junior Strawberry Club should contact Jim Hill at Chilton Trinity by Tel 01278 429119 or visit www.somersetleisure.org.uk

The adult Strawberry Clubs also operates at Somerset Leisure run centres at East Bridgwater Leisure Centre, King Alfred Sports Centre at Highbridge, Glastonbury Leisure Centre, Shepton Mallet Leisure Centre, Castle Sports Centre Taunton and at the West Somerset Sports and Leisure Centre at Minehead.

For more information about Somerset Leisure please contact the Marketing Manager Rebecca Sawtell Tel 01823 410 227 or mobile 07808 767468. or visit www.somersetleisure.org.uk

Notes to Editors

Somerset Leisure is a non-profit making leisure trust which manages 13 leisure centres based on school sites across Somerset. Somerset Leisure's mission is to provide excellent sports, health & wellbeing, leisure and learning services that are accessible responsive and sustainable to ensure the South West is a healthy and vibrant place to live, work and visit. CARYFORD FITNESS & LEISURE, CASTLE CARY 01963 350600 CASTLE SPORTS CENTRE, TAUNTON 01823 322934 CHILTON TRINITY SPORTS CENTRE, BRIDGWATER 01278 429119 CRESTA LEISURE CENTRE, CHARD 01460 64084 CREWKERNE SPORTS CENTRE 01460 271683 EAST BRIDGWATER LEISURE CENTRE 01278 456087 EXMOOR GYM 01643 708815 GLASTONBURY LEISURE CENTRE 01458 830090 KING ALFRED SPORTS CENTRE, HIGHBRIDGE 01278 786868 PRESTON SPORTS CENTRE 01935 412137 SHEPTON MALLET LEISURE CENTRE 01749 346644 STANCHESTER SPORTS CENTRE, STOKE SUB HAMDON 01935 825261 WEST SOMERSET SPORTS & LEISURE CENTRE, MINEHEAD 01643 708815

If you require images of the products featured in this press release please contact Gail Livingstone, A Head for PR: Tel 01823 252415 or mobile 0776 055595 E/: gail@aheadforpr.co.uk