Kirklees Active Leisure is sponsoring a group of young people and their teachers to get fit to take part in a range of community and conservation projects in Borneo and climb the 4,095m Mount Kinabalu.

The group of 13 pupils aged 16-17 and two teachers from Rastrick High School, who live in Huddersfield, Brighouse and Halifax, are undertaking the trip through expedition organisers Wilderness Expertise, a UK-based specialist personal development company working with young people across the social, ethnic and cultural spectrum both in the UK and overseas.

A spokesman for the leisure trust said: "We were so impressed with their fortitude and resourcefulness that we have given the whole group free gym memberships which they can use at any of our sites for swimming, fitness classes and access to the gyms and instructors.

"We hope that this will prepare them physically for their trip, which could prove extremely arduous for such a young group.

"We wish them every success and hope that it will give them skills and memories for a lifetime."