SCHOOLCHILDREN got a taste for healthy living during a special fitness fun day organised by Basingstoke's Sports Centre.

Staff from the centre, in Festival Place, visited Manor Field Junior School in Brighton Hill as part of an educational drive to improve the health and well-being of local youngsters.

Pupils were given information about the different soft drinks on offer and their nutritional contents and were treated to a healthy snack from Fruit Sticks, in Festival Place.

The youngsters also took part in a high-energy circuit followed by yoga, which headteacher Jan Cushing said went down very well with the children.

She told The Gazette: "We are committed to providing many opportunities for enrichment in our curriculum and what better way to understand about improving fitness than to experience it first hand.

"We are delighted that the Sports Centre is contributing to the children's learning."

Jacqui Morris, the Sports Centre's community co-ordinator, added: "Manor Field school already has some fantastic initiatives in place and welcomed the opportunity to work alongside us here to enhance and educate children regarding healthy lifestyles.

"We have some great classes running here for kids and with our newly-refurbished swimming pool due to open shortly, there is plenty for children and families to do to keep healthy, active and have fun."