THE St Helens Smokebusters Club has been 'going for the juggler' in its campaign to encourage children not to smoke.

A summer project set out to teach nine to 13-year-olds circus skills such as juggling, plate spinning, stilt-walking, unicycling and tightrope walking.

Backed by the St Helens and Knowsley Community Health (NHS) Trust and supported by the St Helens Education Business Partnership, the project aimed to provide the children with a fun way of learning new skills to impress their friends, to relieve boredom and to help them feel confident enough to say no to cigarettes.

Circus tutor Anne Arden, explained: "The project helps co-ordination and builds up young people's confidence. It's a creative way for children to spend their time, express themselves and achieve something, instead of taking up smoking when they have nothing else to do."

The St Helens Smokebusters Club was set up in 1995 and now has more than 500 members. It provides information on the harm smoking causes to health and promotes strong peer support for young people to encourage them to stay smoke-free.

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