A SPORTS centre championed social enterprise as part of a national campaign to push their importance.

Windrush Leisure Centre in Witney welcomed residents for an activity afternoon last weekend, to coincide with a UK-wide event called Social Saturday.

Experts offered advice to businesses and groups who fight for social causes, about funding and local opportunities including apprenticeships at the leisure centre's operator Better.

Jamie Coleshill, regional director at Better's parent company GLL, said: "As one of the UK's largest social enterprises we felt it was important to do our bit and raise awareness locally of the fantastic contribution that social enterprises makes to the West Oxfordshire community.

"Any surpluses we make through operating leisure facilities in the district are reinvested back into the facilities and services we run on behalf of West Oxfordshire District Council."

Visitors found out about grant funding for local athletes, free personal training and gym access for 50+ residents, and young people's carpentry classes - all offered by local social enterprises.

Social Enterprise UK's deputy chief executive Nick Temple, who attended the event, said: "Social Saturday is a day to celebrate the achievements and raise awareness of social enterprise.

"Oxfordshire has been recognised as a hotbed of social enterprise activity and GLL are at the heart of that in Witney.

"The organisation's commitment to investing in local community sports, apprenticeships, workforce development, and local health and wellbeing demonstrates social enterprise at its best: making money go further and changing the lives of people and communities through business."