The owner of a trampoline park is offering free passes to school children in an effort to encourage kids to get active.

Co-owner of Flip Out trampoline park in Chatham, Richard Beese, has already given out thousands of free passes across the country as part of Flip Out UK, which he also owns.

But he has plans to give out more to his park in Kent.

He said: “More and more children are ending up overweight. The issue is getting out of hand and more needs to be done to encourage these kids to exercise.

“It’s not always easy to get kids active but trampolining offers a perfect blend of fitness and fun. You’d be surprised how much easier it is to get kids up and active if they actually enjoy the exercise."

He added that trampolining exercise is 68% more efficient than jogging.

"Bouncing on the spot improves balance, coordination and motor skills - all while putting a minimal amount of strain on bones. It strengthens joints, tendons and ligaments which also helps reduce the chances of suffering from arthritis," he said.

The free passes will be given to 10 schools in Medway, with 250 passes for each school.

Flip Out in the Dockside Outlet, Chatham, has trampolines, stunt box zones, foam pits, basketball slam dunk, wall runners and an 8m tumble track and also holds fitness sessions; from women only courses, to free-running classes the park caters for a range of ages and abilities.

Schools need to apply by Sunday, March 3 by emailing Lydon@flipout.co.uk

For more details on the Chatham site click here.