THE summer is alive and kicking in Greenock as youngsters find lots of ways to have fun at a holiday play scheme.

Leisure bosses have joined forces with Inverclyde Council to deliver action-packed activites to help families out while school is out.

At one of the venues in Greenock, St Patrick's Primary, there is a real festival of fun taking place.

The youngsters welcomed the Tele inside and our photographer George Munro's camera was soon the star attraction.

All the kids were striking poses in between playing games, eating lunch and making new friends.

Nine year old Daisy Harkness, taking a break from her world champion Irish dancing, was at the summer club.

She said: "I love it here and I have made lots of new friends, it makes the summer more fun."

Daisy was joined by friends Alyssia Campbell, Naiya Carpenter and Calla MacLeod to tell us how good it was.

Calla said: "We love going outside to play and I have loved meeting new friends, that is the best part."

Play leader Caitlin Church, 23, is in charge of all the fun.

The teaching graduate is taking a break from teaching abroad to come home and lead the St Patrick's Primary play scheme.

Caitlin said: "It is great fun, we have lots of exciting days planned and the children get to decide what we are doing. We are also hoping to fundraise to add to the activities."

It is running for four weeks throughout the summer, until Friday August 2 with sessions from from 9.30am to 12.30pm, and again from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. 

Both St Patrick's and St Michael's in Port Glasgow are serving lunch as well.

The playschemes are all free of charge and take place in Kilmacolm, St Michael's,  St Patrick's, St Joseph's, Wemyss Bay, and Moorfoot as well as Auchmountain Resource Centre.

They are run by Inverclyde Leisure and funded by the council.

Local councillors including Colin Jackson and Michael McCormick fought hard to make sure that free play schemes would remain in the council budget.