Link4Life, the sports trust working in the borough of Rochdale, is to receive direct funding from the NHS to provide free access to its Shokk youth gyms for eight- to 15-year-olds.

The funding has been awarded by NHS Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale as part of a grant to promote healthy lifestyles. The cash will support a range of initiatives for families and young people as well as weight management projects already in place to tackle the rising obesity problem in both children and adults. Access to all these schemes is via local health centres.

"From the very first days of the trust we recognised that to get young people regularly exercising we had to radically overhaul the services we offered," said Link4Life managing director Craig McAteer. "Youth service funding was secured for our first SHOKK centres which have proved to offer the perfect facilities needed to successfully engage with the demanding youth market. This valuable support from the NHS Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale will be invaluable in helping to get your people back into enjoyable, regular exercise."

Link4Life will shortly be opening a fourth Shokk gym at a sports centre based at the heart of a large social housing estate that falls within the top 3 per cent of deprived communities in England. Photograph: SHOKK fitness facilities at the £15m new Link4Life managed Middleton Arena