VICTORIA Square was the place to be if you wanted to go canoeing today.

Thousands of people flooded in to take part in all different sports including canoeing, rollerblading and gymnastics.

Six year old Henry Stafford-Jones tried the canoeing and said: “I really enjoyed the canoe and I’d like to do it again.”

His mother Cheryl from Bolton said her children had really enjoyed the day. She said: “They always get involved in sports but it’s given them a chance to try things that they wouldn’t normally do.”

Children already taking part in sports teams came along to encourage and help the other children and inspire new members.

Nine-year-old Ellie Branthwaite is part of BGC gymnastics group at the event said “It’s been really busy today and I want other children to come and join our group.”

Kelly, her mother was there to the support the team. She said: “All the coaches are professionals and fantastic with the kids, it’s really encouraging a lot of them to get involved.”

The aim was to increase participation of sport and physical activity throughout the borough.

Children can sign up to take part in the event across three days. Osmond Hassan from the Sport and Active Living Service was signing people up for the event and stressed “It’s not just about coming and having a go, but to help and encourage them in the long terms.”

“This is the fifth year now and every year we try to introduce new sports and make it bigger and better. Everyone always goes away with a good experience.”

The event is part of the council's ‘Believe in Yourself’ brand. Not only are they encouraging children but the whole town.

Locals are encouraged to get involved via a new activity tracker to log how many miles they have walked, run or cycled and lengths they have swum. All entries add together to make a running total for the entire borough.

Deputy leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Linda Thomas, said: “We know that the first step to leading a healthier lifestyle can be the hardest, so we have launched the Activity Tracker to help people take the plunge.

"We are also pledging our support to work together with partners for the benefit of everyone’s health.”

The Activity Tracker is available at www.boltonactivitytracker.org.uk.