My name is James Spencer, Business Development Officer for South Downs Leisure and welcome to my first, inaugural blog. Every month, I will be reporting and logging events, initiatives and goings-on within Worthing’s most successful leisure group.
Health and Wellbeing
We’ve recently been awarded funding for our hugely successful Exercise Referral scheme to flourish for another year, thanks to our partnership with Adur & Worthing Wellbeing team. Beating local competition, our coordinator, Marie Pickering, works with referred local people from all over the community, of all ages and abilities, and she has seen referrals double to over 200 in the past year. Common complaints include back injuries, anxiety, depression, and a wide variety of physical disabilities. A client of Marie’s stated;“When I first visited Marie, thanks to a chance meeting with my GP, I was in poor health and felt it was too late to change my life. I had no confidence and gyms were never a place I visited. Marie changed that with a plan that was built around my abilities and health issues. As I slowly got better, my confidence grew and I found I was more able to cope with stress, had more energy and I lost weight too. Marie supported me, every step of my journey and it’s literally transformed my life.”In addition, we’ve created dedicated Health and Wellbeing boards at Splashpoint and Worthing Leisure Centre, and introduced help-pages on our website providing local help and advice from organisations such as the Samaritans, Alcoholics Anonymous and Mind. For full information visit: http://southdownsleisure.co.uk/community/wellbeing/
Old uniform has found a new home
In May this year we changed our name from Worthing Leisure and became South Downs Leisure, leaving 350 staff members old uniforms redundant. But thanks to the Link to Hope ‘Shoebox Appeal’, hundreds of old sportswear items will be shipped to Ukraine and Moldova. Lisa Hector, MD of Link to Hope, said:“Link to Hope reaches out to children and adults from the poorest, most vulnerable and exploited areas of volatile, war-torn countries in Eastern Europe. Donations are lifelines for those struggling to cope. That’s why we are so grateful to receive a large consignment from South Downs Leisure.”
Night to Remember
Another Night To Remember! The 2015 Midnight Walk 1200 walkers took to the streets of Worthing for the St.Barnabus House all-night charity walk, Saturday 27th June. A magnificent£162,000 was raised for the charity, walking for 7, 13 or 20 miles, with start and finish lines located at Worthing Leisure Centre. Organiser, Lucy Bone, praised our staff for their enthusiasm, working through the night. In an exciting turn of events, Midnight Walk volunteer and Field Place Facility Manager, Mark Byerley, had to abandon his post last minute. The reasons for this became clear that night; it was announced that Mark became a Dad to a bouncing baby boy!
Employees Sporting Achievements
Jamie, 24, from Worthing, is a competing Body Builder that recently achieved glory in a national competition.
Katie Gleeson, 20, also from Worthing, has been selected to represent the UK at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for rifle shooting. And she needs your help! To receive funding from clothing giant, Jack Wills, Katie needs your votes. You can vote by visiting the Jack Wills page
The 2012 Legacy Lives on
Sporting Firsts
