The local authority, which already provides free gym memberships to children aged between five and 16, launched the Futures scheme last week. Younger children will now be able to take part in activities including active play, dance and basic ball exercises in 13 of the city's 15 council gyms, free of charge. The council is also offering free annual gym membership to 1,600 families.
The Futures programme aims to reduce by half the number of overweight or obese children in Liverpool over the next three years, and to get all children taking part in five hours of exercise every week.
Liverpool City Council plans to write to the families of a total of 65,000 children aged up to 16 notifying them of the scheme and inviting them to activate their free membership any time over the next few months.
A team of 13 youth and community coaches will provide up to 30 hours of free classes per week at the gyms, which are called Lifestyle Centres. Children will also be able to use the swimming pools, astro-turf pitches and tennis, squash and badminton courts.
Liz Lamb, manager of the Futures programme for Liverpool City Council, said, 'Obesity is a proven killer and encouraging families from the off, to play and get fit together, can have huge consequences for the future well-being of our children. I'm delighted that everyone in Liverpool is joining forces under our Futures programme to provide so many ways to enjoy and access our Lifestyle centres, their facilities and the expertise of our coaches for free.'
However, a note of caution was sounded by Tam Fry, board member of the National Obesity Forum, who said, 'It is a good idea as long as the gyms are properly equipped for young children. It would be totally inappropriate to send children to gyms made for adults, where they could unwittingly cause themselves a lot of damage. They also need to be overseen by an instructor who understands the needs of growing children.'
