Basketball team BiG Storage Cheshire Jets' Hoops 4 Health programme has scored a winning treat with the 64 schools involved in the county, including regional event winner Hoole Church of England Primary School, with the organisation aiming to raise health awareness among children.

Jets players deliver healthy lifestyle messages to children of primary school age, promoting issues of fitness, healthy eating and smoking cessation alongside fun basketball workshops.

Hoole Primary School headteacher Judith Sharman said: "The work BiG Storage Cheshire Jets are doing in our schools is truly excellent. The impact the professional players have on the children is significant and the professionalism of the programme is a credit to their organisation."

Talented pupils were picked from each school to form teams which then hooped it out against each other in a bid to be deemed the Hoops for Health Champion of Champions for the 2007/08 season.

Hoole Primary's regional triumph led to them competing in the national final at the NEC in Birmingham, where they played skillfully in front of 6,000 fans until being knocked out by eventual winners, Greenwich, south London.

Peter Hawkins, director of BiG Storage Cheshire Jets, congratulated the team and said: "They represented The Jets with real credit. We are delighted with the impact Hoops for Health has had.

"Following demand from neighbouring education authorities, we are looking to expand the programme to over 120 schools next season – including Warrington and Flintshire."

Andrew Donaldson, partner at BiG Storage, said: "Between us we have hopefully not only made a difference to the profile of basketball but more importantly given the children key life skills to pursue a healthier lifestyle."