Pound for pound - weight loss scheme success (From This is The West Country)

Pound for pound - weight loss scheme success

6:00pm Saturday 2nd February 2013 in News

AN innovative weight loss project is already benefiting the Chard area with people signing up to the Comm-unity £s scheme.

Spaces on the project are limited, but people who meet the eligibility criteria are being encouraged to sign up before it’s too late.

Community £s offers access a range of discounted exercise classes and opportunities.

The unique part of Community £s is that by losing weight participants raise money to be spent on healthy lifestyle initiatives in their own community.

For every pound in weight lost £1 goes towards the community.

The project is led by Chard Town Team with support from the healthy lifestyles team at South Somerset District Council, and Somerset Partnership and NHS Somerset.

Garry Shortland, chairman of Chard Town Team, said: “We’re pleased to be the community organisation delivering this project in Chard and are keen to encourage the community to get involved in this project, which not only helps to improve people’s health, but also raises money for more healthy lifestyle projects in the community.”

Activities included in the programme include bootcamp, legs, bums and tums, pilates, bokwa, walking, circuits and kettlebell classes.

All the activities run on various days and times over the week, and cost as little as £1 for Com-munity £s members and £3 for non-Community £s members.

Council healthy lifestyles officer Charlie Coward said: “The Community £s project provides a valuable opportunity to set up local, discounted activities which are accessible to all.

“We know in difficult financial times affording things like exercise and gym membership can be hard.

“The aim of community £s is to provide more local, low-cost exercise opportunities for people to take responsibility for improving their own health while supporting local providers and developing community relations.”

The council’s leisure and culture spokesman, Cllr Sylvia Seal, said: “Community £s provides more affordable opportunities for the people of South Somerset to become more active more often.”

Places on the programme are limited, and terms and conditions apply.

Visit www.southsomerset.gov. uk/communitypounds for more information.