CIRENCESTER residents are being asked to throw their weight behind a new venture to raise funds for the town's hospital - and get healthy at the same time.

Lady Apsley and town businessman Alastair Goulty have issued a Ten Ton Challenge to the people of Cirencester.

They aim to persuade Cirencester to collectively lose ten tons in weight by the start of the Cirencester Hospital League of Friends Fashion Show on October 21.

Every dieter will be asked to seek sponsorship for every pound in weight they lose. And if just £1 per lb is raised in donations, and the Ten Ton Challenge target is hit, then £22,400 will have been raised towards a £120,000 digital x-ray machine.

Alastair, of RE/MAX Property in Castle Street, Cirencester - whose fund-raising efforts for the hospital through a sponsored diet were reported by the Standard back in May - said: "The challenge will benefit the hospital twice over - once from the sponsorship money raised, twice from a fitter, healthier town. We hope that this will be a fun challenge that the people of Cirencester will rise to and benefit from."

Alastair, 32, aims to lose more than five stone through dieting and exercise to hit his ideal 16-and-a-half stone weight by the time of the Fashion Show, at which he will be modelling.

Lady Apsley, a long-time supporter of the hospital, said: "I'm constantly having to watch my weight so I read with interest about Alastair's idea to improve his health by losing weight and his incentive being to raise money to help our wonderful hospital.

"I hope the challenge captures the imagination of the town and that everyone throws themselves into the project. It doesn't matter how much you want to lose - it could be five pounds or fifty. Just so long as every person entering finds a couple of sponsors each we will be able to raise the money quickly and easily."

Readers of the Standard will be able to chart the progress of the dieters in the newspaper, which will carry safe dieting and exercise tips, profile dieters and keep a running tally of the money raised.

Anyone wishing to join the venture will be able to sign up at the official Ten Ton Challenge launch this Saturday, June 28, from 10am to noon at the Farmer's Market in Cirencester Market Place.

Alternatively you can register in person or by post at RE/MAX Property 23 Castle Street, Cirencester, GL7 1QD or by logging on to the official Ten Ton Challenge website at www.tentonchallenge.co.uk which will be operational after Saturday's launch.

The site is designed and administered by Cirencester marketing company CMc Media.

* Corporate sponsors are sought for the challenge. Anyone who wants to be a corporate sponsor should contact Alastair Goulty on 01285 648586.