Wellington-based community group Skintight Samba is looking to recruit new members as it runs a series of beginners’ workshops, supported by Wellington Town Council.

The long-established community samba drumming band of all ages and abilities plays every year at the Wellington Street Fair and Somerfest in Taunton.

It also gives time, for free, to support worthwhile charitable events, such as St Margaret’s Hospice Summer Fete and Home Farm Festival, held near Yeovil, for its ’School in a Bag’ fundraiser.

Skintight Samba has also played at Dunster by Candlelight, Minehead Christmas Street Events and even for a private function at the House of Commons.

Last year, the band played at one of the Sunday in the Park bandstand sessions in Vivary Park, Taunton, plus a couple of private events.

It has already been invited to play at Festival on The Hills in Smeatharpe this year and is being considered for Watchet Festival.

With fewer opportunities available for adult education, the band provides a creative outlet to learn something new.

"And it’s great fun!", said musical director Howard Harrison. "You can completely switch off and become absorbed in the rhythms, which we all agree is great for our mental well-being.

Howard thinks Samba drumming is one of the greatest forms of community music: "There are easy parts and harder parts so everyone can participate almost immediately and can progress at their own speed.

"Players connect with the music very easily because it’s full of great rhythms that we’ve been hearing all our lives, and it is learned by ear in a very natural way, so you don’t need to read music or have any prior experience of drumming at all."

The six-week course of workshops for over 16s starts on Wednesday, January 19, in Wellington Baptist Church Hall from 7.30pm to 9pm. The course costs £30, with concessions available on request. To sign up, call Lisa Goodman on 07799 578320, email [email protected].

More information can be found on the website, www.skintightsamba.com, or on Facebook, plus some videos are available on YouTube:https://youtu.be/-R-_cn7qWqI.