CHILDREN at Worcester schools are benefitting from specialist sports coaching and are being encouraged to further their talents by joing sport clubs.

Every pupil at school in the city - more than 9,000 children - has access to 12 different sports under the council-run scheme.

Worcester City Council employs nine community sport coaches to deliver professional tuition in the city's 36 schools and five community centres with the aim that the youngsters go on to develop further in a club setting.

Disciplines include basketball, canoeing, disability sports, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, multi-skills and netball.

The council also funds Worcester Lawn Tennis Club, Worcester Athletic Club and the Worcester Warriors rugby team to deliver an additional programme of more specialised coaching. In addition, funding has been made available for the council to engage five to 19-year-olds in a programme of lesser-known activities such as orienteering, trampolining, dance and angling. This will have the specific aim of encouraging those who generally shy away from participating in the more traditional sporting activities.

The programme is funded by Sport England via the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Sports Partnership and the PE School Sports and Club Links Strategy.

Peter MacKenzie-Shaw, the council's sports development officer, said: "Children now have the opportunity of participating in sports before being signposted to join local clubs to work on individual game technique.

"They could even end up representing their city in local, regional and national events."

The coaches have also established weekend and evening clubs for children wishing to develop further.