Youth fitness brand SHOKK has teamed up with the SLAM Community Development Trust in County Durham to offer the local community the chance to increase their levels of physical activity.

Using a recently launched SHOKK facility as a base, the partnership will deliver activity across the area including free, professionally instructed basketball sessions to children in local primary schools.

The programme aims to take basketball to the doorstep of children in the areas more disadvantaged areas.

The project offers primary schools the opportunity to integrate 6-10 free basketball coaching sessions into the PE curriculum.

Ian Hirst, chair of SLAM, said: “Playing sport achieves so much more than just physical fitness. It helps to develop social skills, breakdown race barriers, encourage camaraderie and burn energy.

“There is currently no funding available from local government to deliver this project so we were delighted when SHOKK offered to provide the much needed financial support.

“We have agreed to a three year partnership, during which time SHOKK will fund the payment of professional coaches delivering the sessions and will provide sponsored team kit for our Under 16s.”

SHOKK has also been working with SLAM to deliver a gym for children at the Spectrum Leisure Centre, which is on schedule to open early January 2008.