TWO pioneering health schemes which have set local people on the road to fitness will finish unless funding is found.

The Inspire2actiona and Step2action projects were set up by USN Bolton Arena almost three years ago. They targeted overweight and sedentary people, those trying to return to fitness after cancer and people with low-level mental health issues.

Both offer a structured programme with individual mentors.

The Inspire2action project was started in partnership with Bolton’s Get Active Team, with funding from them and Sport England.

Individuals work in the gym and can take part in bespoke classes in Zumba, Pilates, yoga, Tai Chi, touch tennis and spinning. All are helped to set their own goals and are guided towards community activities afterwards. In the first year alone, 80 per cent of those involved in inspire2action continued with exercise later.

Step2action was organised alongside the Public Mental Health team, funded through Sporta and developed with a variety of other professional health partners.

Sue Hayes, a manager at the Arena who devised both schemes, explained: “The goal of both projects was to overcome the barriers to fitness that people face in their lives, and develop their emotional attachment and commitment to sport and physical activity.”

Now, as funding for both finishes, she is looking for new sources to continue the projects as “InspireBolton2action” and is urging local people to vote for them in the Aviva Community Fund Awards on www.community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/Project/View/2489 before May 30.

“It would be tragic if we could not continue with this scheme,” added Sue Hayes, “because it has made a huge difference to people’s lives.”

These include women like Lesley McCormick, aged 50 from Westhoughton, who joined Inspire2action a year ago following surgery and treatment for breast cancer. “We all rely on this scheme and really love it,” she commented. “It would be so sad if it closed.”

Lyndsey Ruck had put on lots of weight after having children. Her initial goal was running for a full minute on the treadmill. She achieved this, then did the 5k Race for Life last Saturday – “I’m doing a 10k next!” said Lesley.