Friends of Fitness is a local independent charity, which was set up in 2015. It has allowed us to offer the use of good quality health and fitness facilities and a tailored package of ongoing support to people that would normally be unable to take advantage of such facilities, due to factors such as age, infirmity, disability, financial hardship or adverse social circumstances.
We already have a diverse selection of people, whose lives are affected by various medical problems and disabilities, and who have been helped by the scheme. These range from those suffering from conditions such as hypermobility spectrum disorder and spinal cord herniation, to someone with severe restrictions to their mobility, as a result of a motorbike accident, and a war veteran, who was left paraplegic after being injured on active duty.
Recently, we have been working with MS-UK, a small national charity supporting people affected by multiple sclerosis, a disease of the central nervous system. Their centre, Joseph’s Court, is based on The Hythe, an area in the southeast of Colchester, and supports over 160 local people living with neurological conditions. Alan Pearson, who is a personal trainer at Fitness4Less Colchester, also works at the MS centre. He is now actively nominating people for sponsorship by Friends of Fitness, as he believes they will benefit greatly from use of the gym’s facilities and the provision of individual support, to strengthen their muscles and improve their overall general fitness over the course of their membership.
As well as our successful relationship with the MS centre, we are proud that one of our Friends of Fitness beneficiaries has been selected to compete in the Invictus Games for injured service men, which is taking place in Toronto in September. He is currently combining his training with a PT at the Fitness4Less Colchester gym with participating in the official Invictus training camps leading up to the event. Read more about this story in our Invictus Games Hero Blog