Freedom Leisure is encouraging people in Sussex to collectively lose a ton in weight during October, and will donate £1 to Diabetes UK for every pound of fat lost – a total of £2,224.

The trust’s managing director, Jeff Hart, kicked off the campaign by announcing he would work out at each of the company’s 14 leisure and fitness centres in as many days starting from 2 October.

“We think our ‘Pound for a lb’ challenge will provide fresh motivation for existing centre users and members in their fight for fitness and will hopefully ‘kick start’ new customers into visiting one of our facilities to find out how they can get involved,” said Karen Burrell, Freedom’s head of marketing.

“One of the reasons for the increase in type 2 diabetes in recent years is the rise in the number of people who are overweight. By making long term changes to your lifestyle, such as incorporating regular exercise and a fitness programme, you can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.”

Waitrose joined in the launch by displaying a ton of ‘naughty’ foods. Details: www.freedom-leisure.co.uk

Photograph: Freedom Leisure’s managing director Jeff Hart with Penny January, Diabetes UK south east fundraising manager