A FURNESS charity is launching a new initiative to tackle social isolation among children.

Kick Off 4 has donated a Pirate Ship play area to St Pius X School in Barrow.

The ship will be known as the friend-ship and will be put in the infant play area.

The idea behind the ship is that the school will be able to help children make new friends by using a ‘buddy bus stop system’.

Kick Off 4 will also supply a friend-ship stop sign that will allow anyone who is playing on their own or would like to join others they don’t usually play with, to wait there and staff or other pupils encourage them to join in.

This will be the first trial of the initiative and it is hoped that the trial will enable Kick Off 4 to see how successful it is and adapt the project with the aim of working with other schools in the area on this initiative.

Dan Webber, founder of Kick Off 4 said: “Promoting positive relationships is massive to young people and can have brilliant effects on mental well-being.

“Young people’s mental well-being is paramount and we need to encourage confidence as well as positive relationships.

“This is a step towards that.”

Kevin McGoldrick, headteacher at St Pius X, said: “I think this is a fantastic project.

“We have worked closely with Dan and Kick Off 4 in the past.

“We had a pirate ship in our play area but it has come to the end of its life and was quite old.

“Dan contacted us with this great idea.

“We do occasionally get a child who’s friends might be ill or they’ve had a falling out so for them to be able to stand at the sign and make new friends is great.

“In primary schools we are getting children young and younger who feel down.

“We need more things about mental health in schools to help these children to realise it’s OK to feel this way.”

Mr Webber set up Kick Off 4 in October 2016 aiming to raise money and awareness for UK-based charities.

The charity focusses on sport and the positive impact exercise has on mental health.