A TRAVELLING youth club is tackling boredom in young people living in rural villages by bringing sports and activities into the community.

For the next six months Innov8 Sportz C.I.C group will be coming to rural villages surrounding Marlborough and opening its doors to secondary school aged children.

Sports coaches will be joined by cooks, artists and musicians as each month a different session is held in a bid to engage children and lower anti-social behaviour. Tyler Bathe, 19, of Ogbourne St George is a physical education officer for Innov8 Sportz C.I.C and said: “The problem is that there isn’t anything for these kids to do in the villages. It can lead to anti-social behaviour so we want them to be engaged in sport instead.

“When the children have fun their eyes light up. I say that there is a sport out there for everyone it is just a case of finding that particular one that they enjoy.We really believe in using sport to give people extra sense of wellbeing and getting enjoyment out of their lives.”

Marlborough Area Board has paid for the initiative with a £10,168 grant and in the summer all youth groups will meet at the Marlborough Community and Youth Centre for a celebration.

The mobile youth club will provide monthly sessions for children, visiting Ogbourne St George on the first Thursday of each month, Ramsbury on the second, Baydon on the third and Lockeridge on the Fourth Thursday each month, in primary schools, church halls and village halls.

Andrew Jack, community engagement officer, said: “The area around Marlborough is very rural, the town only makes up about half the population and there are 18 other parishes around which need activities and things for young people in them. The hope is that in the future these groups will be self-running.”The next session will be held in Baydon on February 15 in the BYPA village hall.