CANAL boat cruises are being launched to educate youngsters into the area's waterway heritage.

Converted narrowboat "Kennet" is Leigh Education Action Zone's new floating classroom, made available by British Waterways, to help schoolchildren learn about canals and boats and the importance of safety near water.

Former coal boat "Kennet" will now be centre of attention on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Next Monday it will be moored alongside Leigh bridge next week with its initial cargo of Westleigh Methodist juniors.

Resource packs prepared by teacher Susan Hayes, who is a fully qualified narrowboat navigator, will be handed out on board,

One of "Kennet's" first official engagements will be to host an EAZ certificate of excellence presentation to those committed to working with the EAZ to help raise standards and promote social inclusion across the Zone.

EAZ director Roland Absalom will make the presentations to PC Steve Gaskell, Valerie Gallagher from Pennington Christ Church School, Barbara Brown from Hindley Green County Primary School, Lee Littlewood (Peter Miles Engineering), Dave Boylin (Ingersoll Rand), Ted Hukin (Engineering Employers Federation) and Tony Capewell (Department of Trade and Industry).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.