FORGET the stress of trying to keep to an unwanted, forced-upon-you resolution and instead relax, take a minute and try a sport you probably didn’t know was going on in Warrington.

Here we look at those that might just catch on in 2015, those that are right on your doorstep and those that are a little out of the ordinary...

ROLLER PIGEONS

Ever considered taking up racing pigeons?

Thought not. The competing birds are taken from their lofts and then race home, with races taking place over varying distances.

Training a bird takes time and commitment, but many fanciers believe they have found the key to success and find great reward in seeing a pigeon they have nurtured perform well.

Our favourite breed is the Birmingham roller pigeon, not just because they do back flips in mid-air, but because Warrington brothers Ken and Trevor Weaver took the All England Pigeon Roller Competition title in 2014.

Interested? Try Warrington Two Bird Homing Pigeon Club for a start, they train in Penketh and can be contacted on 01925 726727.

SCUBA DIVING

Learning to scuba dive can open up a whole world of opportunities.

Be it Hawaii, Western Australia or the Orkney Islands, learning to dive with a club in Warrington could land you the experience and qualifications to pursue open water diving across the globe.

Cheshire Scuba Academy, based in Latchford, run a selection of PADI programmes to meet your needs and help you gain the relevant certification, as well as having a good time.

There is also Warrington Snorkellers Club, based in Penketh and contactable on 07843 807069, or Warrington Sub Aqua Club, run from Great Sankey Leisure Centre, they can be contacted on warringtonsac@gmail.com

CHESS

Chess isn’t a sport, I hear you quip. Well, actually, it is.

Recognised by the International Olympic Committee and with an international competition sanctioned by the World Chess Federation, the sport adopted the Staunton chess set for all official games in 1924.

Warrington even boasts its own league.

The Warrington and District Chess League caters for all abilities across four divisions and also runs three cup competitions; Peninsula Cup, Kalmar Cup and Kalmar Shield.

A strategy board game requiring tactical nous, you’ll need to be thinking more moves ahead then Lee Briers in his Wolves prime to become an all-conquering checkmate.

There are plenty of clubs around the town, contact match-secretary@wdcl.co.uk for details.

FENCING

Fancying myself as a ready-made musketeer, I was lucky enough to try fencing this year.

I thought a swashbuckling youth spent marauding around my living room proclaiming to be the great d’Artagnan had more than prepared me for an evening with Northwich Fencing Club.

It hadn’t. It was fast-paced, twinkle-toed, technical and at times frustrating (mostly as I was getting consistently defeated by 10-year-olds) but brilliant.

“It’s very active and it’s in the top three sports in terms of physical exertion,” Nick Murphy, founder of Northwich Fencing Club and North West Fencing Co-Ordinator, informed me.

“It’s one of those sports with a physical element to it, but is as much about flexibility, balance, reflexes, outwitting your opponent and building up your core.”

Based at Weaverham High School, you can contact Northwich Fencing Club at northwichfencingclub@gmail.com

Others on your doorstep...

DARTS

We love the darts! And so do many people across Warrington – there are several leagues you can join around the town, while the sport remains accessible and cheap.

BOWLS

Bowls must be one of the most participated in sports in Warrington and across the county. Cheshire boasts several of the country’s top performers, and there are many competitions to test yourself in. Keep tabs on upcoming bowls events in the Guardian every Thursday.

HANDBALL

An area targeted by Sport England funding after the 2012 Olympics, handball’s headquarters reside at The Halliwell Jones Stadium and the chances are one of the Warrington Wolves Charitable Foundation team will have delivered a session at a school near you.

Something a little different...

FLYBOARDING

A new watersports craze, flyboarding sees the participant thrust out of the water up to 10 metres into the air when high-pressure jets shoot from the bottom of the board.

Once you get to grips with being propelled out of the water it is possible to do tricks, flips and spins, apparently.

The nearest places to experience this new craze are Frodsham and Crosby.

AQUA SPHEREING

If being squeezed into an inflatable ball and being pushed down a hill as water swirls around you and your friends sounds like fun, then aqua sphereing (zorbing) might be for you.

It doesn’t come cheap (around £80 for an hour) but if you are after a unique adrenalin buzz then there are several sites in Cheshire, including one at Macclesfield.

ZOMBIE SURVIVAL EXPERIENCE

Ok, so this definitely isn’t an International Olympic Committee-recognised sport, but it involves plenty of running, shooting and, most likely, screaming.

It’ll also certainly get your pulse racing, so if you are keen to put all that Christmas Call of Duty practice to a, near enough, real life test, then head down to Warrington’s Abandoned Mall – also known as the Manor, on Hall Lane in Daresbury.