Media Release
Removing barriers to exercise – Initiatives at local leisure centres aim to level the playing field
At Local leisure centres in Cheshire East visitors can expect all the usual amenities. A gym, coffee shop, pool and studios for classes like group cycling, yoga, and dance. What sets these leisure centres apart is a dedication to equity and determination to get as many people active and healthy as possible.
Lee Malkin, Sports Development Manager at independent charity Everybody Health and Leisure, along with his colleagues Andy Molyneux and Nichola Foulkes, has been working with local organisations to remove barriers to exercise for women and girls, and families of neurodiverse children or those with SEND.
The charity operates 17 leisure facilities across the region and has rolled out an initiative across all sites to offer Calm Bags containing sensory resources, including ear defenders and sensory toys, and Caught Short Lockers providing freely accessible, and free of charge period products to all visitors of the facilities.
According to Nuffield Health, more than four in five (84%) teenage girls say their interest in sport and fitness diminished after starting their period and almost one in four (23%) say they feel embarrassed to take part in physical activity during their menstrual cycle. This can have a huge knock-on effect to girls and women’s mental and physical health as they grow up.
Nichola Foulkes, creator of the Caught Short Locker concept continued: “We hope that freely available period products will also remove a barrier for girls and young women, who may have abandoned a training session before due to their period. An organisation wide culture of openness and support at Everybody has meant that we can implement this across all sites, and we hope to see an effect in exercise uptake for women and girls.”
Andy Molyneux, Disability & Inclusion Lead, said: “At Everybody Health and Leisure we are committed to providing the best experience for all our visitors. We have already received some brilliant feedback from customers who have utilised our calm bags. Parents have been able to use the calm bags to help their SEND or neurodiverse child sit happily in the café while a sibling completes a swimming lesson or other activity, taking the stress out of the situation for the parents and allowing them to enjoy watching their children take part in sports.”
Julie Brown works in the Taste for Life Café at Wilmslow Leisure centre. She has been able to use the Calm bag at Wilmslow when visiting with her grandson. She had this to say:
“I was working in Wilmslow leisure centre when I saw a poster on the wall regarding Calm bags.
My grandson is nearly 5, autistic, non-verbal and struggles with social settings, noise, background noise, and lights.
So I was looking after my grandson and I thought I will go in the leisure centre and asked for a calm bag. I went to reception and was handed one straight away and went into the café. Fortunately, there weren’t too many people in the café.
The sensory equipment in the bag was brilliant and my grandson was completely settled calm and stimming and was able to be vocal.
It’s really nice that settings are becoming more mindful and recognising additional needs. My grandson’s mum and dad rarely go out because there are not many places where they can access equipment to keep my grandson calm.
So, the Calm bags are definitely a way forward to inclusion in the community.”
Everybody Health and Leisure are working with Ruby’s, who introduced the Calm Bags to support their own SEND community, and the charities are now working in tandem to support SEND families across Cheshire East and beyond through the calm bags and staff awareness training.
ENDS