A NEW leisure centre card sponsored by the Gazette will make sport and fitness more accessible to all, removing the stigma of being on benefits.

The North Wiltshire Leisure Ltd zip card, which covers all six leisure centres in the district, will enable centre members, non-members and those on benefits, therefore eligible for discounts, a card which looks exactly the same.

The card was launched at the Olympiad Leisure Centre in Chippenham last week.

NWLL managing director Adrian Jones said: "Up until fairly recently if somebody was on benefits they had a completely different card and there was a stigma attached to that.

"Now all the information, the person's name, photo and membership category, are all stored on the computer, so the only person who sees that is the receptionist."

Gazette editor Gary Lawrence said: "We are delighted to be involved in this scheme. Because it is inclusive it will bring the community together."

The new cards show the member's name and membership number on the front, but have a host of other data invisibly stored.

When the owner swipes the card at NWLL's six centres, it tells the computer how much to charge, depending on their membership category.

The new technology means North Wiltshire Leisure can now take part in the Access To Leisure scheme, which is designed to include everyone in sport and leisure, whatever their situation.