KEVIN DAVIES and Matt Taylor attended the launch of the Bolton Wanderers Football in the Community 'Healthy Goals for Life' project today at St Stephen and All Martyrs Church of England Primary School.

The programme is aimed at promoting and encouraging healthy eating, fitness and well-being for Primary school across the Bolton borough.

The programme is funded by Football Foundation, Premier League and the PFA and will reach out to 36 Primary schools over the next three years educating 6-11year olds in nutrition, physical activity and showing them that learning can be fun.

Recent research by Primary Care Trust has revealed that one in four children in Bolton are obese or overweight and just over 25 per cent of four and five-year-olds, and nearly 30 per cent of 10 and 11-year-olds, desperately need to lose weight.

Delivery partners Health Matters Education were also in attendance carrying out a dynamic and lively exercise session with Year Three pupils and club mascot Lofty the Lion.

Kevin Davies and Matt Taylor oversaw a gym session with Year Six pupils involving junior exercise bikes, treadmills and rowing machines and also sat in on a classroom session run by Football In the Community teaching pupils about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and answered questions about nutrition from the viewpoint of a professional Premier League footballer.

Striker Kevin Davies said, "It's great that we can take the time to promote the huge benefits of healthy eating and exercise in the local community. I've got young children and the statistics about child obesity are shocking and it's great that the Club are setting an example and making a stance to combat this."

Matt Taylor added, "It's vital for us to get out within our local community and give something back to the town. It's clear for all to see that this is such a worthy project for the Club to be carrying out within the local community and the best thing is that the children are really enjoying themselves."

The Premier League/PFA Community Fund enables Premier League clubs' community departments to apply for grants to start innovative new projects, or develop and enhance the many they already deliver. The £12.9m three-year fund is administered and managed by the Football Foundation.