A YOUNG boy whose family hope to raise £50,000 for an operation which could enable him to walk unaided was on hand to help open a new gym.

Alfie Smith, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was joined by Hartlepool FC mascot H’Angus the Monkey in cutting a ribbon to launch Xercise4Less Hartlepool, which has opened in the town’s Middleton Grange shopping centre.

The nine-year-old, from Hartlepool, who requires daily physiotherapy for his condition, struggles to do everyday things most take for granted such as walking, getting dressed and even brushing his teeth.

His family hope costly Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) surgery, which permanently reduces muscle spasticity in the body, could allow him to become more independent and avoid becoming permanently wheelchair bound.

Bosses at the gym have pledged a contribution to the fund raising drive in the hope it will eventually allow him to fulfil his dream of playing football with his friends.

The new gym, which boasts more than 400 pieces of state of the art gym equipment, will be running free exercise classes each month for adults along with ‘Xercise4Kids’ classes for children.

For more information visit www.Xercise4Less.com

To help the fund raising effort for Alfie go to www.xmasnicelist.co.uk