MORE than 200 children took part in a holiday camp run by students.

Durham University hosted the children for nine days over the Easter break, offering things like cricket, volleyball, lacrosse, fencing, dodgeball, archery, rowing, climbing, trampolining, golf, high ropes and skiing.

Tom Kitchen, holiday camps co-ordinator, said: “As a university we have been running holiday camps since Easter 2013 and they just seem to get better and better. The new sports park developments at Maiden Castle will enable us to grow the camps still further and that’s very exciting for us all. The children have a great time, whatever the weather, and students – as well as enjoying themselves – develop valuable experience and skills.

“Some of our coaches are high performing athletes and they really value the opportunity to give something back in this way, it’s also a great experience for some of the young people to rub shoulders with athletes who may be stars of the future.”

Tom Clark, 21, a sport, exercise and physical activity student, helped run the camp. He said: “I want to go into teaching and this has been a great experience. It’s about giving something back.”

Lloyd Francis, 20, a philosophy, politics and economics student, added: “It’s a nice way to mix with the local community and get to know local people.”