Hi there! We hope you’re keeping OK?
We’re really pleased with the popularity of our videos, guides and other resources that we’re providing to members at home while the restrictions are ongoing. We’ve had great feedback, which we really appreciate. It’s also great to be able to provide so much support to everyone across the community who relies on Active Tameside in their day-to-day life.
Like us, you’ll be hoping we can reopen our brilliant leisure centres, venues, activities and attractions as soon it’s safe to do so.
All of us have had to cope with disruption to our daily lives regarding home, work, school and our leisure time. Having to spend so much extra time at home isn’t easy, especially perhaps if you have young children, live alone or are elderly. We all want to get back to ‘normal’ life as soon as we can, catch up with friends or neighbours, get out the house and have a change of scene.
We know that exercising at home can never replace our great facilities and the buzz of being with your regular instructors and friends at our classes and activities. Hopefully we’ll start to see some changes to restrictions and be able to open again soon within any new guidelines.
During lockdown, we’ve posted a huge amount of practical, motivational, entertaining and fun content online which has been really popular and viewed a lot.
In the first period of lockdown, people watched almost 11,000 minutes of Active Tameside videos on Facebook – that represents over one week’s worth of viewing! Wow! Plus, we posted a range of daily workouts, hints, tips and challenges on social media and our website.
With our online videos we’ve been sure to keep on providing favourites such as Pilates, HIIT workouts, dance-inspired workouts and abs blast along with great challenges such as the plank, V-sit and wall-sit. So far, the favourite video has been the LBT workout with Tracy. This has received over 2,000 minutes of viewing by people at home. Brilliant effort everyone!
In addition to videos, we’ve posted regular check-ins on Facebook, asking how people are feeling and coping with the lockdown restrictions, offering regular companionship and combating isolation. These have reached thousands of people across the borough and led to hundreds of engagements and conversations in response.
And for a bit of extra fun that doesn’t include squats or push-ups, we launched the Saturday night quiz on social media, along with other puzzles and games to keep the whole family entertained.
The Live Active page on our website has been designated for people managing health conditions, which includes advice and home exercises for ailments such as for back pain.
Printed guides were also posted to people who may struggle to access our information online.
So, we’re really chuffed that our support and resources have been so popular and useful. Thanks to everyone who has been getting involved for making it all such a success.
In other activities, we’ve been working very hard out in the community to help those in particular need, which has even been making the headlines in local newspapers and radio including the Tameside Reporter, Manchester Evening News and BBC Radio Manchester. Some people may not realise just how much good work we do across the community, including support for children, young people and older generations.
Active Tameside has worked with the NHS and council to provide a range of outreach services for people with physical and mental disabilities, and vulnerable children and adults.
Our ‘Everybody Can’ service team helped provide hot meals for residents at Beatrix House Care Home in Dukinfield. Staff have also been safely delivering meals to residents’ doors and have worked with children and adult social care services to highlight the most vulnerable residents for support assessment and to prevent family crisis.
Some of our team have been working with The Samaritans charity, which has received many calls from families suffering from domestic abuse, which was made worse by the pressures of having to stay at home.
Active Tameside also helped two Tameside special schools which supports children of key workers. Homework packs were provided and delivered to the homes of every young person supported by our special education programme, while parents and carers also received weekly phone calls.
And people studying on the supported internship courses were able to access their work modules from home, with video chats keeping them in touch with staff, alongside Tameside Hospital and Jigsaw Homes.
Supporting the local community is at the very heart of everything we do. This is why, alongside supporting our members, we continued to provide such an important range of community outreach work during the coronavirus restrictions.
Did you know Active Tameside is a registered charity? This means any profits we make are invested back into our facilities and community services – for your benefit. So, every paying customer or member plays a really valuable part in supporting our great range of quality facilities which, in turn, benefits the whole community.
Our work to support the local community by harnessing the power of physical activity and wellbeing sees us partner with organisations such as the borough council, NHS doctors’ surgeries, local schools and voluntary community groups. These relationships and responsibilities make Active Tameside unique and let us support the community in so many vital ways – making positive impacts on people’s lives before, during and long after this lockdown.
Looking ahead to when the restrictions start to ease, our social media and website will keep you updated with all the latest information on our centres, timetables and community activities, membership arrangements, bookings and much more.
We can’t wait to welcome you back to our gyms, pools, spas and attractions. It’ll be fab to see you again, have our facilities being fully used again and to experience that great atmosphere and friendship that we all love.
Look out for more updates and keep in touch.
Your card, your choice. Choice is a great thing in life, so you’ve come to the right place. With so many ways to spend your Active Choice Card you’ll never be stuck for fun family times, fitness and wellbeing times, Fuel cafes catch-up times and for those activity must-haves (forgotten the goggles, stylish swimwear) you can also spend it at our in-centre stores.
