Independent health club Fitness 2000 in Great Yarmouth has received a £16,000 grant from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund to fully finance a new weight management programme for children using a Zig Zag Sportwall.

The scheme, backed by the Great Yarmouth Primary Care Trust (PCT), will see children referred to the club by their GP to undergo a three-month programme of health eating and activity advice alongside training on the Sportwall.

The club is installing four of the Sportwall panels, which each measure 8ft x 4ft and offer a multitude of different games in which children score points by hitting lights on the panels.

Eva Howkins, owner of Fitness 2000 said: “We have been running weight management programmes for adults in partnership with the PCT, which concentrate on healthy eating, a healthy lifestyle and physical activity, but we would like to be able to offer a service which combats childhood obesity too.

Lyn Blizzard of Great Yarmouth PCT added: “The Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) is committed to bringing about healthier lifestyles for the people of Great Yarmouth to improve health, extend life expectancy and ensure that the quality of life that people experience is as fine as possible.

“This includes strategies to tackle weight management, sedentary lifestyles and increase physical activity. As part of this, the LSP’s Partnership for Health is using Neighbourhood Renewal Funding to support this exciting new facility that will enable children to exercise in a fun, non-threatening way.”

The installation of the Sportwall is part of a £500,000 expansion of facilities at Fitness 2000. Once complete, the gym floor will be 3,000sq ft (280sq m) and offer new Cybex equipment as well as a mezzanine floor with a studio for ballet, dance, Pilate and yoga. A café, solarium and therapy studio are also being added.

The new facilities are expected to open by the end of the summer.