MORE than 180 schoolchildren took part in a week-long programme of free canoeing and science activities.

Year five and six pupils spent time canoeing along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Burnley while taking part in a hands-on science workshop designed to help explain factors that affect whether an object sinks or floats.

The new programme was hosted by the Canal and River Trust and was part of a number of initiatives the charity offers to schools free of charge.

Mrs Bibby, deputy headteacher from St John the Baptist Primary School in Burnley said: “The children were able to apply the basic principles of floating which they learned during the practical canoeing session in their science lesson, while having fun at the same time. It’s a brilliant initiative which I hope the Canal & River Trust and Desmond Family Canoe Trail will continue to offer.”

Katie Hutchinson, Education Coordinator from the Canal & River Trust’s Explorers team said: “Our 2,000 miles of canals and rivers offer endless opportunities learning opportunities and we’ve been amazed by the demand for this new STEM inspired programme has been with both schoolchildren and teachers. We would love to hear from schools interested in finding out about our canal and river education programmes.”

For more information visit https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/explorers .