COMPUTER skills and card-marking sessions are just two of the free events being held at the Earcroft Community Base in Darwen.

Confidence in crafts, a free course for women, starts on Monday and includes candle and card making. Courses are every Monday from 1pm to 3pm and places must be booked.

Discover local history and computer skills through a free eight-week course starting on Tuesday from 10am to noon. Children aged nine to 13 are invited to IT sessions every Tuesday after school, with ladies' keep-fit classes held on Thursday from 7pm to 8pm. The six-week programme will include bangra dancing, aerobics and a wide range of activities. Michelle Rutherford, manager of the Hawkshaw Avenue centre, said: "We want to do something for everyone at the centre this season and we are starting as we mean to go on." For more information on the courses, contact the base on 01254 775248.