WANNABE waterbirds will be given the chance to stand on the surface of a lake, as part of an innovative drive to get newcomers enjoying outdoor fitness pursuits.

The extremes of running, swimming or cycling may not be for everyone but, with a range of alternatives to choose from, there is no excuse not to get involved in at least some physical activity during this weekend’s Go Active at Brathay event.

Those who visit the Brathay Trust’s Ambleside grounds on Sunday will be offered the chance to try out one or more of six low-cost activities - from trail running, orienteering and open-water swimming, to high-rope activities, archery and paddleboarding.

The activities will all be hosted by providers from across south Cumbria, who will also be taking the chance to invite people to join their clubs and get involved in other events if they enjoy their taster.

The paddleboarding sessions are being hosted by Windermere Canoe, Kayak and stand up paddleboarding, which is giving people the chance to spend 30 minutes on the water for a one-off low price of £5.

Darren Ready, who owns the business, said: “Stand up paddleboarding offers something for all abilities and caters for all fitness levels. If you can climb in and out of bed then you can get on and off a board. Those less confident can start their session by kneeling and rise to their feet after finding their sea legs!

“It’s super easy to grasp the basics. You can’t go wrong; just give it a go.”

The taster sessions have been organised to coincide with Brathay’s annual Windermere marathon, in a bid to encourage the event’s spectators to get involved in sport themselves.

The national children’s and young people’s charity decided to try out something new this year, after hearing about the Go Active in Cumbria campaign to get more people involved in fitness pursuits.

Scott Umpleby, Brathay’s head of fundraising, said: “We quickly learned that there’s a lot of activity going on in Cumbria, especially with us being right at the heart of the Lakes, and started thinking, ‘What else can we build into this programme of activity?’

“We’re talking entry-level skills development. This is all about having that teaching coming in and giving people that taste of something new and different.”