JOHN Bentley School has donated a computer to Calne's drop-in centre as part of its commitment to support children after school has finished.

Youngsters who go to the drop-in centre in Curzon Street, will now be able to watch DVDs, listen to music and do their homework on the pc.

The centre has been running for 11 months and provides a relaxed atmosphere where youngsters can come to talk, listen to music, play board or computer games and have a soft drink and sweets.

Centre supervisors Mercy Baggs and Vicky Waite hope to link the computer to the Internet, so teenagers can access information to help them with projects, schoolwork and research into hobbies.

Assistant head of John Bentley School, John Hamp, who presented the pc, said: "As a school we want to work with other agencies to help and support young people. We don't want our support to end at 3.15pm."

Mrs Baggs said: "I can't thank John Bentley enough for their generosity. To me these kids are our future, how we treat them now is how they'll treat us in the future."

The centre is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7pm to 10pm. It is desperate for volunteers and anyone interested should contact Mrs Baggs on (01249) 812128.