AROUND 25,000 people are expected to pack out Canford Cliffs beach for the British Beach Sports Festival this summer.

Poole is hosting the festival, over the August bank holiday weekend, for the first time this year.

The three-day event will include a variety of ball sports, ranging from beach soccer, rugby, volleyball and netball.

One of the festival highlights will be the national beach soccer championships and a celebrity all-star game of ex-professional players competing against one another.

British Beach Sports Festival’s Ben Reynolds said: “We want to encourage more visitors to the area as well as engage with the local community over the bank holiday weekend, as well as encourage people from all ages and backgrounds into the ball sports.

“It is our hope that they will enjoy these sports for years to come. Team sports lower stress and depression rates and encourage long lasting friendships too.”

The national men’s and women’s beach soccer teams will demonstrate the game and will be on hand to give novice entries more information, as well as taking part in a celebrity charity match in aid of The Youth Cancer Trust, a Dorset based local cancer charity.

The all action weekend will culminate with The National Beach Soccer Championships where the UK’s best teams will be selected for the European championships.

Away from the pitches, there will be plenty of entertainment to entertain the crowds with live local bands throughout the day and international DJs during the evenings.

Poole Tourism Partnership chairman Bruce Grant Braham, said: “It is wonderful to see another high profile event making use of the Poole’s superb assets and a fantastic opportunity to showcase all that the town has to offer.

“Poole is renowned for its outdoor activities and lends itself to hundreds of ways to get out, get active and explore.

“We are already home to an extensive portfolio of year round activities and world class water sports and the British Beach Sports Festival is a perfect fit with Poole’s tourism offer and brand.”

Speaking at the launch event at The Customs House, Poole Quay, Mayor of Poole Cllr Xena Dion said: “I am particularly excited by this event as it fits perfectly with one of my key themes in my mayoral year which is health and wellbeing.

“Physical activity and sports is so essential for our health and any event that helps get people moving gets my support.

“It is hard to take up a new sport or start again after a long break, but this British beach sports event promises to make sports a great deal of fun.”

The festival takes place from Saturday, August 27, until Monday, August 29.

Visit www.britishbeachsportsfestival.co.uk or Facebook BritishBeachSportsFestival for information.