Health campaigners in Bradford are hoping for a spell of good fortune with a new initiative.

They aim to use magic to help hammer home messages about healthy living and community services.

Workers at the Carlisle Business Centre in Manningham want to recruit local magicians to help them with a year-long campaign – MaGiCH, Manningham and Girlington Campaign for Health – which got under way there yesterday.

Scores of people turned up to see what was on offer and found stalls, a health survey – and a Tour de France challenge in which people can use an exercise bike to try to cycle the equivalent of the Yorkshire leg.

People were asked to write health messages on MaGiCH playing cards to be used as training tools.

Community health worker Alan Anderton said they wanted local magicians to come forward to help get the message across.

Mr Anderton said: “We appeal to everyone in the Manningham and Girlington areas to please get involved in this campaign.”

The project is a continuation of the Manningham Healthy Living Initiative. Mr Anderton said: “There is a lot of activity and services people could access but they may not know about them.

“We want to involve as many people as possible in this.”

Mr Anderton said recent research showed 46 per cent of families in the area had someone with a long-term medical condition.

“That’s quite a lot,” he said. “The main problems are with diabetes and obesity but we are also finding that the new migrant community is not having children vaccinated.”

Councillors and a number of businesses are involved and a local gym has loaned the exercise bike. “So there is a lot of evidence of support,” said Mr Anderton.

“Once this gains momentum we hope to see more of that.”

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