Summary
Community fitness group combines fancy dress, exercise and fundraising to support seriously ill children and young people. Members of Springbank Fitness have raised £205 for children’s charity WellChild following their annual Halloween-themed fitness session at Springbank Community Resource Centre in Cheltenham.
Details
The special session, held yesterday (Wednesday), brought together members of the over-50s fitness group for a morning of exercise, fancy dress and fundraising, demonstrating that keeping active can be fun while supporting a worthwhile cause. Organised by self-employed personal trainer Luke Young , the event marked the third year the group has dressed up for Halloween.
With witches, vampires, ghosts and other fancy dress characters taking part, the session combined the group’s usual exercise routine with a strong sense of community spirit. Luke, who qualified as a personal trainer in 2005 and also provides sports massage and fire cupping, said he was delighted with the response and thanked everyone who helped make the event a success.
Luke said: “We like to think of this annual event as a true ‘fun raiser’ – giving participants a chance to enjoy themselves, have a bit of fun and work up a sweat while raising money for a meaningful cause. “This year, we raised an amazing £205 for WellChild. A massive thank you to everyone who contributed, including those who couldn’t attend but still donated, and those who kindly gave extra.
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Every contribution makes a difference, and it was fantastic to see everyone coming together for such a worthy cause.” WellChild was chosen as this year’s charity because of its work supporting seriously ill children and young people with complex health needs.
The national charity, headquartered in Cheltenham, helps families care for their children at home, enabling them to thrive with their families rather than spend prolonged periods in hospital. “Children are our future, and it is a privilege to be able to support them,” Luke added. The fundraising total was boosted by the generosity of people beyond the fitness group itself.
Graham Brindley, an arts and crafts enthusiast who uses the community hall, asked about the event and subsequently made a donation. Adrian at Springbank also supported the initiative by allowing the group to use the hall without charge, while one of Luke’s clients made an additional donation.
Luke expressed his gratitude to everyone involved, recognising that the final total reflected the generosity of the wider community as well as the efforts of those who took part. Springbank Fitness meets every Wednesday from 10.30am to 11.30am at Springbank Community Resource Centre, Springbank Way, Cheltenham. The sessions are designed primarily for the over-50s and welcome people of all abilities.
Report source: Punchline Gloucester
