ROTARIANS have helped launch a new tournament to give young children a chance to get grips with technology.

Church and Oswaldtwistle Rotary Club have recently come together with taken Rochester Bridge Trust to take part in a brand new initiative for primary schools.

They helped host a technology tournament for under 12s and the first competition took place at St Andrews Primary School in Springfield Street, Oswaldtwistle.

In the morning the year six children learned about tension and compression forces, and undertook challenges where they had to test out various materials and join them together to make strong structures.

In the afternoon the tournament took place and children were split into teams and had to design and build a bridge for which they were given a pack of materials and a brief.

Rotarian Cath Heap said: “The Rochester Bridge Technology Challenge includes aspects of design, maths and science, all important aspects of the curriculum, and delivers them to the children in a fun and challenging way. It is the ideal enrichment day activity."