Over 6,000 youths have taken up the government's offer of a free gym membership, The Malta Independent has been told.

The Youth Fitness Support Scheme was first announced by the government in the last Budget, and was formally launched by Prime Minister Robert Abela, who is a dedicated gym enthusiast himself, and Education Minister Clifton Grima last May.

The launch had featured renowned international figures in the gym world Alex Eubank and Greg Doucette.

Under the initiative, youths born between 2005 and 2007 are able to register for a free six-month gym membership.  The initiative was said to cost the government around €2 million as Abela said that the government wanted to promote physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle and show that it can be for the wider population, not just for professional athletes.

Around 12,000 young people were eligible to benefit from the scheme, according to figures given at the launch, and an Education Ministry spokesperson told The Malta Independent this week that over 6,000 had applied for a gym membership as part of the scheme.

This means that half of the youths within this age two-year age bracket in Malta have applied for the scheme.

The scheme is still open with 64 gyms taking part in it.