PROUD families showed off their huge improvements in health, well-being and fitness to Devon's education and medical experts as they gathered to celebrate the success of Exeter's Skilled 4 Health scheme.

The city is the only one in the country to get Government funding to run the project, which aims to transform the health and well-being of parents and their children with the help of Exeter teachers.

During the past two months, mums and dads have been learning to cook healthy meals and take part in sports.

With their children, they have joined in a host of free fun activities, including pilates and rugby training with players from Exeter Chiefs.

The £50,000 scheme has been paid for by the Government. During the last session, representatives from the Devon Primary Care Trust, Philip Bostock, chief executive of Exeter City Council and officers from Devon County Council came to see the classes in action and speak to families.

Skilled 4 health coordinator Vicki Tearle is now planning on extending the scheme after Christmas.

It will run for another 10 weeks and include first aid and safety advice from the police and firefighters.

S4H is run from St Luke's Science and Sports College, in Whipton, but 70 mums, dads and children from all of the city's five secondary schools and Southbrook College have been taking part.

It is hoped the councils and Devon PCT will want to get involved to help the scheme keep going after the Government funding has finished. The classes might then be able to run from all five secondary schools.

"We really wanted all the representatives to see S4H in action and speak to the parents and children involved — it's important they know what we are doing," Vicki said.

"We would love them to be a part of it. This way the whole of Exeter could be involved. They had a tour and we put on a question and answer session.

"I think all the visitors were really excited to see what we have on offer and want the scheme to keep running, too."

Also at the celebration were Exeter's school sports coordinators, who will be responsible for promoting the next part of the course.

The Echo has been following the progress of parents on the scheme.

At the beginning of S4H, they took part in a survey which asked about their health and fitness.

They will give information again when the classes finish to see if they have benefited.

The initial survey shows the parents, aged between 33 and 60, all knew how to eat healthily, exercise and keep safe.

But many admitted to not eating enough fruit and vegetables and said they were "always" on a diet or regularly tried to lose weight.

Around 20 per cent said they thought their diet was unhealthy.

But families in Exeter are obviously much more active than previously thought — 92 per cent said they had taken some exercise in the past week.

About 20 per cent smoke, and many said they wanted help in giving up.

Many said most of their worries involved money.