DOZENS of fun-seekers enjoyed an Easter splash on Preston's Avenham Green as part of the town's Youth Inclusion Programme (YIP) initiative.

A packed timetable of fun events and activities kept youngsters amused during the school holidays with happy faces enjoying a tug-of-war competition, badminton at Cardinal Newman College and disc jockey scratching techniques on the decks at the Foxton Centre.

The Oxford Street ground was transformed into an American baseball pitch as instructors from the Washington state, USA, demonstrated their skills with the sport's Little Leagues in Preston to develop the potential of young players from the Avenham area.

Others enjoyed ten-pin bowling at the free event and all the young participants, aged eight to 18, topped of the fun week with a sports-based party.

The event was supported by Preston Borough Council, Lancashire Borough Council, the Foxton Centre, Lancashire Police, Cardinal Newman College, Groundwork Chorley and South Ribble, Youth Justice Services, Avenquest Regeneration Trust, Avenquest Homes and Preston Youth Offending Team.

It is organised by the YIP team to give people a taster of the type of activities on offer during the summer holidays later this year.

Project manager Amanda Wrigley said: "The most popular activity has been the baseball programme run in association with the Jazz Baseball Club and three American instructors from Baseball Lancashire -- a community sports initiative supported by Collingwood Housing Association.

"The children have enjoyed learning to pitch and using the new different types of equipment and listening to the instructors American accents."