GoodGym Stockport fitness launches today

Local residents can do a good deed and get fit at the same time with GoodGym Stockport, the borough’s newest fitness offering, which launches today, Tuesday 28th August 2018.

GoodGym runners have carried out good deeds to help older people and community organisations throughout the UK. GoodGym aims to launch in every city in the UK by 2018.

GoodGym has a unique approach to building community cohesion, promoting fitness and reducing social isolation. GoodGym runners stop off on their weekly organised run led by a GoodGym trainer to do physical tasks for community organisations and to support isolated older people with one-off tasks they can’t do on their own.

GoodGym supporting local communities

In addition to the weekly group run, GoodGym runners can also be paired with an isolated older person and commit to a weekly social visit and/or help with one-off household tasks. The GoodGym befriending scheme has been proven to reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing.

GoodGym welcomes runners of all ability and is open to anyone over 18 in Stockport.  There is a weekly group run taking place every Tuesday launching today, 28th August at 6.30pm and two hours free parking is available for runners in the Stockport Exchange NCP car park.

For the first Stockport run, the group will be running from Life Leisure Grand Central in Stockport to the Heatons Centre to help our friends from Signpost Stockport for Carers manage their green space with some painting and cutting back- so that all their visitors will be able to enjoy a breath of fresh air in a relaxing space.

The launch of GoodGym Stockport has been made possible through the support of Stockport Council and Age UK Stockport and will be GoodGym’s 46th area nationwide and the first in Greater Manchester.

Stockport Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Chair of Stockport’s Health and Wellbeing Board, Councillor Tom McGee, said of the initiative:

 “We know that lots of people in Stockport are moved to help others in their community and GoodGym will provide a real motivation to get fit and also be part of a team that makes a difference to peoples’ lives.  I’m looking forward to people coming together with GoodGym and encouraging others to get involved.”

To take part, sign up on the GoodGym website: www.goodgym.org/areas/stockport

For more information on GoodGym and future runs email: getinvolved@goodgym.org or call 020 3432 3920

Find out more on facebook.com/goodgym  twitter.com/goodgym  instagram.com/goodgym

GoodGym runners have carried out  good deeds to help older people and community organisations throughout the UK. GoodGym aims to launch in every city in the UK by 2018.

The easiest way to volunteer:

GoodGym runners run in groups to local organisations that need our help completing tasks like shovelling earth for community gardens, planting trees or clearing derelict land, and run back all within 90 minutes.

• All fitness levels are welcome and we never leave anyone behind. Group runs are led by qualified running coaches who help you with your running technique and support you to achieve your fitness goals.

• GoodGym group runs take place in locations across the UK.

• GoodGym is free to participate in and many runners donate to support it         

GoodGym members run to help vulnerable, isolated and housebound older people with basic household and garden tasks they can’t do on their own.                        

By helping people to do basic things in their house such as clearing a garden, or moving furniture, GoodGym runners help make the difference between someone staying at home and having to go to hospital or a care home.

Supporting the most isolated and lonely

There are a million people in the UK who are often lonely, and 2.4 million who have no one local to ask for help.

Many GoodGym runners are paired with isolated older people and we run to see them each week for a social visit. We call the older people we visit our coaches because they help keep us motivated to run and they share their wisdom with us. It’s amazing what you can learn from your coach.       

Visiting an older person as part of your weekly run can make a huge difference to their life. Over a million older people are always or often lonely, going for weeks without seeing friends or family. GoodGym is shown to improve levels of wellbeing and happiness, and to decrease loneliness and isolation.