TEACHERS, health workers and members of the emergency services will be able to exercise at a nearly half-price discount at Livingwell health club at York Business Park at Nether Poppleton.
Instead of paying £56 including VAT per month, they will be charged £29.38 all-in.
The arrangement, said manager, Emma-Jane Leadbetter, would apply to primary and secondary schoolteachers, healthworkers, police, firefighters and ambulance crews who are already members - possibly 400 of the club's existing 4,000-plus members. The health club chain is setting aside 10,000 such discounted places in its 86 branches for these "role models" as a demonstration that it takes seriously the fight to prevent an epidemic of obesity and ill-health in the UK.
It is also part of a campaign to get the Government to demonstrate, commitment to that fight, by lifting VAT on health club membership fees.
Miss Leadbetter said: "If the Government did get rid of the VAT exercise would be available to a much wider income bracket.
The offer "goes live" on May 1 but those who qualify can enrol now.
Updated: 13:27 Tuesday, April 27, 2004
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