RESIDENTS are being encouraged to get fit and kick off their new year with a new hobby.

Tower Hamlets Council is offering free swimming to all residents on Fridays and also free swimming for over 60s and under 16s until March 31.

There are seven leisure centres and four swimming pools in the borough which are run by charitable social enterprise GLL.

Athletics, football, gymnastics and trampolining are also on offer.

Meanwhile, basketball is a fast growing sport in the borough and there are teams for both adults and children.

Raiders are a wheelchair basketball team that play in the Super League and National Leagues for juniors and seniors and they are on the lookout for new members. Sessions are run at Mile End Park Leisure Centre on Fridays at 6.30pm.

The council’s Get Active scheme at Langdon Park Leisure Centre also allows certain residents to use the facilites for �1 a session.

Older people can also join the Young@Heart weekly groups which offer football, archery, salsa, yoga and swimming.

The groups run at Whitechapel, Mile End Park, York Hall, John Orwell and Tiller Leisure Centres and St Georges Pools.