SWINDON Town's Fun Challenge Days are still going from strength to strength with over 600 children taking part in them this summer.

The Challenge Days which are a joint initiative between the Football in the Community Office and the Study Support Centre are in their second year and aimed at improving children's football skills in a fun environment.

Seven Fields School, were the latest to take part, sending 75 children aged 8-11 on two separate days. Deputy Head Lynda Ashmore said: "Both days had been excellent, the children had enjoyed every aspect of the Fun Challenge Days and several had not wanted to leave at the end of the day."

The Football in the Community run by Clive Maguire and Jon Holloway organise the football side of the day, while Study Centre manager Martin Turnbull organises the Study Centre computer programme for the children.

The primary school children come to the study centre for a whole day. In the morning they are put into small teams to compete in the Gladiators football skills challenge. Then they play some small-sided football matches before having a tour around the main parts of the County Ground. After lunch they write up their day on the study centre computers.

The Gladiators challenge is a series of football skills games where teamwork is as important as the football skills.

Tasks range from shooting a ball at a speed gun to the more difficult challenge of kicking a ball into a target ring. There are eight skills for each team to complete.

On the County Ground tour the children see the dressing rooms, the boot room, the medical room, the gym and sit in the top seats of either the South Stand or the Arkell's Stand.

In the afternoon the children work in one of the two computer centres at Swindon Town to produce a souvenir document about their morning at the County Ground.

The page uses a Study Centre template, which the children have to personalise using computer applications such as WordArt.

Children can make a poster of their favourite football team, search the Internet, or play the popular Maths Mania maze game.

At the end of the day all of the children are presented with a goody bag made up of things that have been donated by the sponsors of the Fun Challenge Days program and each player from the winning team of Gladiator's gets a special prize.

Chief Executive Mark Devlin said: "The Swindon Study Support Centre continues to be one of the most successful schemes in the country.

"As part of the clubs push into the community we are very pleased to play our part in helping to educate and entertain our local school children. We look forward to these Fun Challenge Days continuing in the future."

Due to popular demand, Swindon Town have added another soccer fun week to their summer schedule.

Places for a series of courses to run over the school holidays were snapped up in record time, so three new dates have been announced.

Places are now available on August 6, 7, 8 call Clive Maguire on 01793 421303 for details.