A support group which helps sufferers of coronary heart disease has been awarded a £10,000 lottery grant to extend its work at South Yorkshire sports centre.

Concord Heart Support Group, in Sheffield, was successful in its bid for funding from the Lottery grants scheme, Awards for All.

The money will be used to fund a free gym membership project for children or dependents of coronary heart disease (CHD) sufferers at the award-winning Concord Sports Centre.

A total of 165 free 12-week gym memberships and education sessions will be available to the group, which is based at Concord, to help influence and reduce the other risk factors associated to CHD.

The British Heart Foundation affiliated Concord Heart Support Group is a charitable organisation set up in 2008 to improve the health of the local community.

It supports patients attending Phase IV cardiac rehabilitation community programmes at Concord and members of the Sheffield International Venues (SIV) facilities' GP Referral Scheme.

Project Lead and Chairman of the Concord Heart Support Group is Dave Birds, Personal Trainer of the Year at the 2010 National Fitness Awards, who was instrumental in securing the funding.

Dave, SIV's GP referral manager, said: "The highest risk factor associated with coronary heart disease is genetic and, thanks to the Awards for All funding, we will now be able extend our work from sufferers of CHD to their dependents.

"We want to make a real impact on improving the health statistics of Sheffield, by starting with those at risk and helping them to make informed choices about their future health and wellbeing."

The first phase of recruitment for the project will be a healthy heart day at Concord Sports Centre on Saturday, November 5 from 11am until 3pm.

Members of the public are welcome to attend for further information and to register interest in the group's free fitness.

Health professionals will also be on hand to answer any questions and give advice.