A MOBILE classroom teaching children how to say no to drugs will be able to continue touring the county thanks to a boost from local Rotary Clubs.

Eleven Wiltshire Rotary Clubs have funded the classroom, provided by charity Life Education Centre, based in Malmesbury, by raising £12,000 and successfully getting a £30,000 grant from Rotary International.

The charity visits primary school-age children in a specially adapted trailer to give them valuable skills and knowledge on health, wellbeing and relationships.

It also works in association with the children’s charity Coram, many of whose volunteers are also in the Rotary Club, to confront them with difficult issues early on, such as being exposed to drugs and alcohol and online bullying.

Phil Tanner, president of the Royal Wootton Bassett & district Rotary Club, told the Adver: “There’s a bit of a loophole in the English system that children aren’t taught this - the bad things in life, as I keep saying - but the younger they are taught about it the better.

“We are delighted to get the global grant, we have been funding this classroom for twenty years around the county

“I would like to thank all the clubs who donated to this appeal and especially to thank Richard Everitt who masterminded the successful application for a Global Grant from the Rotary Foundation that has enabled the purchase of the new classroom.

“This will benefit children across Wiltshire for many years to come.”

Linda Locke, pubic relations volunteer at the Royal Wootton Bassett Rotary club, added: “I think it’s doing absolute wonders for the children throughout Wiltshire.

“It’s giving them guidance about being careful online, and trying to lead a normal and healthy life.

“The children today are much more free to do what they want. When we were young we could play in the streets, and felt quite safe doing so.

“You’ve got drug dealers preying on young children and they’ve got to be warned about it. The use of this little classrooms helps them to show the dangers out there and prepare them for that situation.”

The trailer will reach around 80 schools in Wiltshire in one year and about 21,000 children.

Volunteers from the Rotary Clubs of Royal Wootton Bassett & District, Bradford-on-Avon and Salisbury have been responsible for managing the Wiltshire Life Education programme since 1997.