Staff at North Wiltshire District Council hope to become fitter and healthier thanks to an initiative aimed at getting them out of their cars and on to their feet.

The project is organised by Wiltshire Health Promotion Service, in partnership with the district council's Sports Development team, to encourage a more active and healthy workforce.

Wiltshire Health Promotion Service has provided numerous volunteers with a Walking the Way to Health Stepometer, which calculates how many steps a day the individual takes.

Each volunteer will undertake an adoption week, where they make no additional effort to walk more and get used to wearing the Stepometer.

After this week they will receive fortnightly information on the benefit of leading a more active lifestyle, both at work and at home.

Over a twelve week period, staff will take steps to achieve the recommended 10,000 steps per day.

Each participant will record their daily steps and also any other leisure time physical activities they participate in.

The scheme was set up to get people more active and to improve their awareness of the amount of exercise they need to improve their health.

Bob Marshall, chief executive of the district council said: "Research strongly suggests that a more active workplace is a happier, healthier and more productive workplace.

"This is therefore, an important trial for the council as it will not only help to promote a more active lifestyle in and around the workplace but also spread the message of the benefits of physical activity to their family and friends."