Get fit and warm up: Cadent invests £88,000 to heat up community fitness

Cadent has invested £88,000 in the scheme, which will enable Inspiring Fitness to tailor its sessions to meet the unique health needs of each Centre for Warmth, which offer vital energy efficiency, money management and Carbon Monoxide advice and support to some of the most vulnerable communities in the city.

Inspiring Fitness has been offering classes and personal training services across the UK for the last 18 years. Its aim is to bring people together to improve physical and emotional wellbeing. The centres taking part will now, for the first time, offer exercise classes, led by qualified personal trainers, that are tailored to the community’s needs, with classes ending with a wellbeing session. Participants will also receive potentially lifesaving carbon monoxide advice.

The diverse class offerings include:

Women and Men Only Classes: Safe, supportive environments for gender-specific fitness

Parent and Child: Fun, engaging workouts for families to enjoy together

Chatty Chair: Perfect for those with mobility issues

There are also several classes tailored to those experiencing homelessness ,families living in temporary accommodation and those with learning disabilities

Volunteers taking part in the programme will also have the opportunity to become qualified fitness professionals, opening up many employment opportunities.

Marcus McDonald from Inspiring Fitness said: “Through building on the safe spaces created by Cadent’s Centres for Warmth, our aim is to bring people together to improve physical and emotional wellbeing. We focus on what people can do, not what they can’t, with inclusivity as our core value”

“The key to our success is the community environment, we bring people together and get them moving. After the sessions, we have a wellbeing moment, and this is where people really start to open up. We’re already seeing results, with people taking steps to reduce medications and feel more positive. Movement is magic.”

Phil Burrows, Head of Customer Vulnerability at Cadent, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Inspiring Fitness to bring such an impactful programme to our Centres for Warmth. Over the past three years, we have grown our centres to over 200 across the UK, with all of them quickly becoming a vital resource for some of the most vulnerable communities in the UK. This new heath initiative demonstrates our commitment to supporting our communities, promoting health, while fostering a sense of togetherness.”