ONE in ten people in the region are being targeted by an exercise campaign.

People who are endangering their health by doing little or no exercise are in the sights of Everyday Sport.

This week's launch of Everyday Sport 2005, following last year's successful pilot scheme in the North-East, revealed that campaigners want to reach out to 250,000 people in the North-East.

Research from last year's four-month pilot suggested the campaign had potentially changed the lives of up to 125,000 North-East people by encouraging them to get active.

Sport England, the national group behind Everyday Sport, wants to double that figure to 250,000.

Youngsters from Kingston Park Primary School, in Newcastle, helped launch the campaign with a training session with the Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park.

The players then walked the youngsters to school, part of the national Walk to School Week campaign, which is being backed by Everyday Sport.

Falcons players who were taking part in the launch included former All Blacks centre Mark Mayerhofler, Mark Wilkinson, Ed Williamson and Ben Woods.

Everyday Sport launch activities are taking place throughout the region, with events held in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Dur-ham.

Judith Rasmussen, the director of Sport England North-East, said: "Five per cent of those questioned by researchers said they had increased the amount of activity in their lives."

The Everyday Sport campaign will be extended to the rest of the country in September.