The ladies all take part in the Think Fit programme, which is aimed at women in deprived areas. Pciture: Tony Gay

A project aiming to get hundreds of Haringey women exercising is appealing to the community to vote with its fingers so it can realise its ambitions.

Think Fit has already succeeded in getting more than 700 women from some of north London’s most deprived areas exercising at free or affordable fitness sessions. But the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, which runs the programme, will extend the scheme further if it wins a £2,000 prize from the The National Lottery Awards.

But the lottery-funded project, one of nine shortlisted in the good causes category, needs as many votes as possible to get through to the finals, before lines close this Sunday.

The money would help the incredibly popular programme reach even further, on top of the 1,008 women and teenagers it already aims to get involved in classes during the life of the project.

Its co-ordinator Lucy Peirce hopes the extra funds and the award would also recognise the hard work put in by both coaches and particpants.

She said: “It is a great positive programme which gives the opportunity to take part in sport to real, local women. It is breaking down barriers as to why women do not participate as much as men. It is a really lovely community-led programme.”

Mother-of-one Ayo Drew-Smith, 29, has taken the morning classes since September, leaving her little one with others to be looked after in the hall while she exercises with other mums.

She said: “These classes are very well subsidised. Without these sort of classes I don’t imagine many people would do them.”

She hopes the extra funding comes through as it means the project could run evening classes too, enabling her to keep attending after her maternity leave ends next month.

“Unfortunately I won’t be able to come along this time next month,” said Ms Drew-Smith. “I will miss the class and I am going to try and come when I can.”

- Cast your vote by visiting www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/project/think-fit or calling 0844 836 9728 before midnight on Sunday.