Resident tells us how his local gym has helped to ‘save his life’
We’ve all seen the headlines – keeping fit is good for you. And for some residents in the borough local council run leisure facilities are proving to be lifesavers.
19-year-old Kyle from Telford who has cerebral palsy has told us about how becoming a gym member has helped to change his life.
Kyle is an aspirations member at Telford & Wrekin Council Leisure and he visited the recently refurbished gym at Stirchley Sports and Leisure @Park School to try out the centre’s brand new “Accessible to All” equipment. The equipment was added to further support people with disabilities in a gym environment.
Kyle told us: “Everyone should have the same opportunities to keep themselves fit and healthy and it’s great to see that the council have invested in this new specialist equipment at Stirchley, making it accessible to more people.
“I’d actually say since I joined the gym it has saved my life and I would recommend it to anyone regardless of your current ability.
“My main focus was always about getting stronger but my mental health has improved, and it’s given me a focus. I can see how far I have come, and I really feel like I am part of something.”
The new kit was added to Stirchley Gym following a refurbishment earlier this spring as part of the council’s wider commitment for leisure services to help make the borough cleaner, greener, safer and more enjoyable.
Councillor Carolyn Healy (Lab) Cabinet member for climate action, green spaces, heritage and leisure commented: “The effects that our local leisure facilities have on residents’ lives, both in terms of their physical and mental health, should not be underestimated. Since we refurbished Stirchley Gym earlier this year we have seen the number of people who have taken out memberships at the site increase considerably, so we know more residents are investing in their health and wellbeing because of the new equipment and improved gym layout.
“Investment pays off in more ways than we can imagine and as a council we will continue to develop and grow our facilities to ensure there are opportunities for everyone to use our sites. We are proud that all aspirations’ gyms are accessible - this is such a powerful example from Kyle and I’d like to thank him for sharing his story with us.”
Last year new adaptable fitness equipment was also added to both Abraham Darby Sports and Leisure Centre and Wellington Civic and Leisure Centre as a part of their refurbishment programmes.
