Borders Sport and Leisure Trust (BSLT) is piloting an initiative to get more local teenage girls participating in physical activity by offering them free, and exclusive, access to its flagship gym, TriFitness.

The scheme, part of the Fit For Girls project run by sportscotland and Youth Sport Trust which aims to encourage schoolgirls from 11 - 16 to adopt more active lifestyles, will see more than 400 girls from Galashiels Academy given exclusive access to the TriFitness facility every Saturday afternoon for a period of eight weeks.

Borders Sport and Leisure is promoting the project using media popular with teenagers - social networking sites, email and secure online web-pages where the girls can access a specially made short film which tells them what's on offer at TriFitness. In a bid to introduce a viral element to the campaign, BSLT is encouraging girls to download the video and send it to their school friends.

BSLT's marketing manager, Emily McGowan, said: "We know that there are many barriers to exercise for the 11- 16 age group, including social pressures, not wanting to take part in mixed activities, and cost. So we decided to remove those barriers in order to make exercise both an easy and inviting option. With free, exclusive use of a top class fitness facility, offering internet-enabled CV kit and a host of classes including Zumba, Body Pump and Spinning, as well as female only staff, we are hoping to convince the girls that getting more active is something fun that you can do with your mates."

The TriFitness facility will open out of normal operating hours on a Saturday afternoon from 2-4 pm and only the girls from Galashiels Academy will have access during these hours.

The girls will get an induction to all the CV and resistance kit, including how to watch TV or log on to Facebook, as well as an activity programme designed to their individual requirements. They will also have access to the facility's 'Refresh and Relax' area where magazines, water and fruit will be available.

BSLT saw the opportunity to help the local schoolgirls get more active when they found out that Galashiels Academy had opted out of taking part in the sportscotland project. Emily explains: "We are committed to working in the heart of the local community to encourage healthier lifestyles, so we jumped at this opportunity to engage with what is often a hard group to reach. We are offering something different from the usual school PE activities in an environment where there is no pressure on the girls."

Once the eight week project is completed all the girls will be asked for feedback. The girls who participated will be asked what impact the project had, and the remaining girls will be invited to feedback on why they didn't take part. Both sets of feedback will be used in the planning of any project extension or development.