AROUND 100 fitness enthusiasts came together at the Grange Leisure Centre on Sunday to take part in a three hour Zumbathon.

This is the second year in a row that instructors from Swindon have used the popular keep fit craze as a way to raise money for charity.

Men and women of all ages and fitness levels packed into the Stratton-based facility to dance and work out to the sound of booming Zumba tunes.

Dressed as superheroes, they were raising money for Swindon based charity CALM which helps to support children diagnosed with cancer and leukaemia.

Instructor Hender Corredor, who has been teaching classes for 10 years, said: "Zumba brings people together, this type of party where we are able to raise money for charity is great - all over the country people are doing this."

Fellow instructor Sarah Williams, who teaches at the Grange and across Swindon, helped to organise the event and encouraged some of her students to come along.

"We started it last year and it was successful so we thought why not do it again," she said.

"Some people do bits and pieces and drop in and out, others love it and do the whole three hours. You can go at your own pace.

"We've done lots of zumbathons together but this is the first super hero one."

One of Sarah's students taking part for the second year in a row was Debbie Brown, 55, from Rodbourne.

Dressed as Wonder Woman for the afternoon, Debbie took a break from the energetic routines to tell us why she felt it was important to get involved.

"It's a really good challenge to do this for three hours, but it's also about raising money for a good cause.

"There are a few of us here who have had experience of cancer, including me, and this is a really nice way to give back."

Members of the CALM committee were on hand to watch the event and to provide information on the work CALM does, both for the children themselves and their families.

Maureen Morland got involved with the charity after her 14-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 14. Thankfully he went on to make a full recovery, now serving as a police officer with the Metropolitan Police, but Maureen felt moved to help other families in the way that CALM had helped her.

"These sort of events are really important to us and we're very grateful," she said.

"It not only helps with fundraising but also with getting awareness out there of what we're doing and how we can help.

"We can't thank them enough."

Organisers were hoping to beat last year's fundraising total of £800.

For more information about CALM, visit www.calmcharity.org or find them on Facebook.