BETTY Hamer would have been both fascinated and approving.

The Life Education Unit, named in memory of Bolton's Social Services Committee chairman who died last summer, is a fitting tribute to a woman whose career in local politics centred around practical, caring projects.

She would have enjoyed stepping into this £60,000 hi-tech mobile classroom where children aged from four to 11 learn lessons in life.

And Betty, a grandmother, would have delighted in the enjoyment of the children as they discover the fun behind this serious subject.

For the Life Education Centre is there to teach our children to resist drugs.

Not that this is the obvious message. In fact, it's unlikely that you could persuade youngsters to take such pleasure in anything so sombre-sounding.

Instead, the sessions hinge on the teaching behind Life Education Centres, established by the Rev Ted Noffs in Australia in 1979. He identified preventive education as the only way to ultimately tackle drug abuse.

This was endorsed locally when Bolton borough's seven Rotary Clubs brought a Centre to the town last year.

It was such a success that the Rotarians were persuaded to find the money to buy a Life Education Centre for the town.

The Bolton City Challenge Partnership agreed to purchase a Centre to visit local primary schools.

This was supported by the Wigan and Bolton Health Authority, the seven Rotary Clubs and local businesses.

The unit visits around 40 local primary schools for a week at a time.

Educator Sarah Davy runs the entertaining sessions and each is tailored to the age group involved. Then teachers follow up the sessions in the classroom.

Sarah said: "We look at our bodies, at ourselves and our own personalities, and show children that everyone is different and special.

"We want the children to have respect for their bodies, to avoid peer pressure, so that they can eventually make the right choices about what they put into their bodies."

When the BEN joined Year 3 pupils from Brownlow Fold Primary School, Halliwell, it was hard not to be impressed with the Centre's effectiveness.

The children had a session with Sarah last year, which must have impressed because many recalled details as she went through how the body works.

She is ably assisted by a transparent anatomical mannequin or TAM for short, a talking brain and an impressive display of hi-tech gadgetry that had young eyes on stalks.

Rotary believes in the value of the Life Education Unit and would like to buy another. They are looking for more funding to offset the £30,000 a year it takes to run the first unit.

Certainly Brownlow Fold head Ron Hesford is delighted with the results. "It's definitely worthwhile for all the primary school ages," he said. And that would have been more than enough for a thumbs up from Betty Hamer.

Firms who would like to sponsor the unit can contact Rotarians Margaret Whitehead on Bolton 842240 or Brian Davies on 846505.

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