FREE sport classes are now available for Eastleigh residents.

Women across the Eastleigh borough have the opportunity to try up to six sports activities for free before choosing the one they prefer and enrol in a beginner course.

As previously reported, this is part of an initiative called This Girl Can Eastleigh, launched by Eastleigh Borough Council last month.

Now the organisers have released a list of the free activities and beginner courses available.

The first on offer is a seven-week beginner weightlifting course, starting on April 10 at Lakeside Weightlifting in Eastleigh from 6pm to 7pm.

Courses coming up later in the year include ladies boxercise in Hedge End, beginner yoga at Velmore Community Centre, beginner squash at Places Leisure Eastleigh, beginner badminton at Hamble Sports Complex and Couch to 5k at Lakeside Country Park.

Eastleigh Borough Council’s health and wellbeing specialist Emily Fry said: "By offering local woman the chance to have a go at a variety of free activities across the borough, we hope to break down barriers that can stop people exercising including cost and lack of time. Furthermore we hope woman can try activities together with their friends and family so to give them the confidence to try something new and see that exercise can be a great social occasion too."

Current free sessions available as part of This Girl Can Eastleigh are: Aquacise Hamble Sports Complex; Ballet The Point, Eastleigh; Back to Netball Places Leisure Eastleigh; Boxercise Poseidon Amateur Boxing Club; Clubbercise St Francis Hall & Hedge End Village Hall; Dance DDMIX Centenary Hall & Cranberry Centre; HIIT Circuits Hamble Sports Complex;Lane swimming (ladies only) Hamble Sports Complex; Legs, Bums & Tums Hamble Sports Complex; Low Level Circuits Places Leisure Eastleigh & Velmore Community Centre; Pilates Hamble Sports Complex; Rétrospectif Dance (for older adults) The Point, Eastleigh; Street Dance Cranbury Centre; Tai Chi Hamble Sports Complex; Tap Dance The Point, Eastleigh; Tennis Wyvern College; Volleyball Crestwood Community School; Walking Netball Hamble Sports Complex & Places Leisure Eastleigh; Weightlifting Lakeside Country Park; Yoga Hamble Sports Complex; Zumba Hamble Sports Complex. #

To get involved visit www.eastleigh.gov.uk/thisgirlcan.