MOUNTAIN BIKING, plank walking and a water challenge wall awaited Weymouth youngsters on a day designed to inspire leadership and team building.

Three teams of youngsters from Weymouth took on rival Barn- staple teams in a day of activities at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

The day was part of the National Citizen Service course the teens have been on for the last few weeks.

The programme aims to promote a more ‘cohesive, responsible and engaged society,’ by bringing young people from different backgrounds together to make a difference in their communities.

As part of the project the young people are given a budget and they have to research and plan a project to help out in their community.

The young people were divided into teams and each team had a different costume theme, some had Christmas hats on with elf ears and others wore face paint and tinsel.

Alex Sergison from Weymouth College said that during the course the young people had completed team building exercises, learnt to surf and went camping in the rain, but still kept smiling.

He said: “They do research into the community and do a project about something they want to do to give back.”

Mr Sergison added that he had seen a huge difference in the confidence of the teens.

Bessie Brumble, 19, from Weymouth said she had got involved in the project through Weymouth College.

She said: “The best bit was getting to know all the people and helping out the community groups.”

Elle Saunders, 17, from Weymouth, said the course had taught her not to judge others on first appearance.

Portland resident Kara Stone, 17, agreed. She said the thing she would take away from the course was ‘definitely not to judge people’.

She said she had never thought of volunteering before but now she would like to.

She added: “It’s made me appreciate my life and what we have.”

Sally Anne Rees, 16, from Bridport said she had found the toughest bit of the challenge day the mountain biking.

She said she would take away a lot from the course especially the way they worked as a team.

At the end of the day a Weymouth team were victorious after completing all the challenges.