IMPULSE Leisure recently welcomed 159 William Edwards pupils to The Civic Hall in Grays to take part in a Girls PE Curriculum Day.

The aim of the event was to give girls the confidence to be more active in their PE lessons and within the community.

Working with the PE department at William Edwards school, Impulse Leisure co-ordinated a day of workshops and fitness classes.

Topics such as periods, specialist sportswear such as sports bras, and self-confidence were covered in the workshops, and the students were able to try out fitness sessions including Zumba, Pound, Pilates, Kick Boxing and PT led sessions in the gym.

In addition, all participants received a free sports bra donated by The Sweaty Betty Foundation.

Only 45% of girls at school age are active for 60 minutes or more a day, and while this number has risen in recent years as a result of campaigns such as 'This Girl Can', Impulse Leisure are committed to helping local young people live an active lifestyle.

Girls tried out some of the equipment.

Karl Hayes, Managing Director at Impulse Leisure, said: "As a community-focused Leisure Trust and registered charity, we are passionate about making fitness and activity accessible for our whole community.

"Young people are a very important part of this – we are keen to ensure that the next generation benefits from everything living a healthy lifestyle gives them.

"Working with local schools such as William Edwards is an ideal way to share this important message and break down some of the barriers students may encounter. We hope the girls feel empowered to keep participating in fitness or sport, whether this is feeling more confident in their PE lessons after learning about the best things to wear, or finding a class or exercise that they enjoy outside of school!

"Our team were so impressed with the students who took part in the day, they all came armed with a positive attitude and contributed to every element. We're already looking forward to repeating the event in future."

Impulse Leisure, which manages three leisure facilities in Thurrock including fitness suites, swimming pools, a golf course and driving range and the Civic Hall in Grays, has a comprehensive programme of activities available across its facilities for children and young people, including the Active 1115 membership.

This includes supervised gym sessions, public swimming sessions, and use of the Belhus Park golf course, driving range and adventure footgolf. Find out more about this membership and other options for children at www.impulseleisure.co.uk/juniors.