A CITY-WIDE scheme to transform the health and wellbeing of families has been such a success that organisers are extending the programme.

Mums and dads have been busy learning to cook healthy meals for the past month and taking part in sports thanks to the 10-week £50,000 Government-funded Skilled 4 Health project.

They and their children have joined in a host of free fun activities such as cookery classes, pilates and rugby training taken by Exeter Chiefs players.

The project is the first of its kind in the country. It is run from St Luke's Science and Sports College but 70 mums, dads and children from all the five secondary schools and Southbrook College are taking part.

Teachers have decided the classes will run for another 10 weeks and are paying for them from the cash St Luke's is given for being a specialist sports and science school.

There will also be computing and numeracy classes and representatives from the police, fire service and St John Ambulance will be on hand to give safety tips.

Schools operator Carillion, which built all Exeter's new secondary schools as part of a PFI project, is letting the project us St Luke's free.

Current parents on the scheme have children in Year 7 but after Christmas it will also be open to mums and dads with youngsters in Years 5 and 6.

The success of the project will be celebrated at a showcase event on December 11, with teachers sharing information about it with representatives from Devon County Council and the Devon Primary Care Trust.

"We hope as many people will come along as possible. We want to reach out to those who haven't accessed the scheme before," said co-ordinator Vicki Tearle.

"From surveys we have got back so far, many parents said they didn't feel very good about themselves at the start and they told us they wanted to do more exercise and learn how to eat properly."

This week those on the health and fitness strand of the scheme, who have so far tried out rugby, football and volleyball, were learning badminton from coach John Edwards, who used to work for Badminton England.