A NEW street sport craze is sweeping through the town as a bid to get children involved in different sports takes hold. The Sport for Streets initiative has set up two clubs in Swindon in a bid to get children and families involved in street hockey.

The Oxfordshire based charity offers the hour and a half sessions at Quarry Road, Old Town, and Buckhurst Fields, Walcot, which are free for young people.

The Sport for Streets Initiative offers sports-based outreach youth work through targeted projects to advance amateur sport by increasing levels of participation, volunteering and exposure to non-mainstream sports.

The aim is to grab the attention of those who are less sporty and encouraging them to discover a sport or activity which they enjoy.

Dave Edwards, charity manager, said the project had been a success in Swindon since it started at the end of last year.

He said: “The sessions have been well attended, with young people hooked on the game and itching to form their own teams and play against other clubs from across the south. The aim of the project is to get young people into different sports from the usual football, rugby and cricket.

“This way you get young people, who may not be very sporty, finding a sport that they are good at and enjoy.

“We have 16 children attending the session at Quarry Road, which is a great number for us.

“It is bringing new life to the sport and Swindon has a successful club team, who have won the european championships before, and that is exciting for the children to see what is possible.”

The charity is rolling out sessions in Swindon after a Sport England grant was awarded earlier this year to grow the sport.

The funding was to involve 12,000 young people in Street Hockey in their communities this year forming 70 new clubs.

Sessions take place at Buckhurst Fields on Mondays between 5pm and 6.30pm and at Quarry Road on Mondays between 7pm and 8.30pm.

People can learn more about what is on offer in their area by visiting the website www.sportforstreets.

com.