Hartham encourages disabled people to enjoy an active lifestyle

Everyone Active’s Hartham Leisure Centre in Hertford is launching a new fitness programme, created with disabled people in mind. The Disability and Mobility Exercise classes, led by instructor Lee Welch, encourage more local disabled people to reap the benefits from keeping fit and enjoy a more active lifestyle.

Set on the edge of Hartham Common in Hertfordshire, Hartham Leisure Centre offers the local community a range of indoor and outdoor facilities. Outside there are a variety of outdoor sports available and a pavilion with changing facility as well as a six rink bowls facility. Inside you will find a gym, group exercise studio and swimming pool.

One of their recent recruits is former team GB wheelchair basketball player, Lee Welch. He qualified as an Instructability Level 3 Exercise and Disability Trainer earlier this year (2015) and has set his sights on increasing activity levels among local disabled people through free training sessions. He works two days a week at the Centre, operated by Everyone Active in partnership East Herts District Council.

As part of his 12 week placement, they engaged local groups to raise awareness of an active lifestyle, promote the centre and show disabled people what they can do to keep fit. Sportivate funding enabled the team to put a plan together for the scheme, which has made it free of charge for all attendees.

Lee was born with Spina Bifida, a condition which affected the development of his spine and spinal cord. As such, he has always been a wheelchair user. With an innate passion for sport and exercise, Lee joined his local wheelchair basketball club at the age of 13, quickly proving himself to be a talented player. He was scouted for the team GB U23 squad at the age of 17 and made his senior GB debut at the age of just 22.

The class is an eight week course with free taster sessions in July and August for people who want to try it out first. The classes are circuit-based, using a variety of equipment.

Keen to show more disabled people that working out can be fun too, Lee says:

“We believe confidence is the important part of this; confident enough to exercise and then, knowing how best to exercise. In the later sessions, we’ll introduce people to the gym, give them some gym-based sessions, show the equipment and give them an exit route for them to continue being active after the course is over.”

Promoted through banners, leaflets, website, social media and newsletters, they’re hoping more disabled people join in. The team will revisit all of the organisations from the engagement exercise.

Ian Ling, Fitness Manager at Hartham, said:

“The classes are aimed at anyone who would benefit from being more active! That’s first and foremost, but we’d especially like to target those that have limited, or no mobility. We want to show them what they can still do within the right environment or with the correct knowledge or education. The classes would is perfect for 17-25 year olds too.”

An EFDS programme, the Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI), is raising the bar in accessible physical activity. With over 400 facilities now IFI accredited across three levels, Everyone Active is keen for more of their centres to be recognised in this programme.

Most recently, Everyone Active’s Vale Farm, operated in partnership with Brent Council, was awarded the IFI Mark. To gain the IFI Mark, Vale Farm Sports Centre had to demonstrate top quality health and safety procedures, customer service and operations. The centre was assessed in five areas to achieve the accreditation – staff training, sports development, fitness equipment, accessible facilities and marketing and engagement.

Hartham’s Fitness Manager, Ian, continues:

“We’re not IFI accredited yet, but it is something I’ve looked at and definitely want to get recognised for it. There are a few criteria points that we need to address at the site first in order to be able to be accredited, but we will be looking to sort these by the end of this year.”

If you want to attend the new courses at Hartham, please contact Ianling@everyoneactive.com or call 01992 584000. For more information on your nearest IFI accredited gym, please visit here