Hundreds Cash in on Council's Fit for Free Offer
Nearly 800 people are enjoyed a free month of gym usage at Durham Leisure's 5 Future Fitness centres. The figure is way above the number expected to take up the offer and is being hailed a huge success in the battle to beat obesity and to make a healthier city. Of those more than 70 were under 16's using the service's Young Lifestyles initiative.
Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture Coun. Sue Pitts, " By opening our doors for free for 30 days we hoped to break down the barriers that can stop some people from taking exercise. We also know it's not always about money. Many people can find the idea of a gym a bit daunting, so we have aimed our campaign specifically at hard to reach groups and it has really paid off. It's fantastic to see so many new faces learning how they can take control of their own fitness and well being."
Amongst the first to take up the offer were 2 friends from New Brancepeth who even walk the 3 miles to Meadowfield Future Fitness suite to get their gym fix.
Michelle Rudkin, 40, admits she hadn't taken exercise for a while, "I've never been a gym user but am completely bitten by the bug. We can't wait to get down here. We had an induction at the start of the month and were given personal training plans to follow. It's easy. We're real gym bunnies now. "
Nicola Tones, 29, " We just walk if we don't have the car. It takes an hour each way but it's worth it. We've both dropped a dress size and feel so much more confident. We're not stopping either, now we know how good it feels, we're sticking with it. "
The Month of Fitness is part of the Active Durham campaign which is providing a year of free sport and activities and is funded by Sport England and the County Durham NHS Trust.
January features a month of free indoor sports so everyone can kick start their New Year for free with sessions at all 6 Durham leisure Venues offering everything from Family Karate to 5 a side Football tournaments. Check out the timetable on the Active Durham pages and then just call your local centre to book in.
