Church Housing Trust was pleased to be at the opening of a refurbished gym for homeless individuals, which it has helped to fund at The Quays scheme in Sittingbourne.
The scheme for single homeless men and women is run by Riverside. Residents and partner agencies, such as mental health group Swale Your Way, were invited to a ‘Fitness for You’ awareness event to try out the new gym equipment for the first time.
The gym’s upgrade will benefit both Quays residents and the surrounding community, and integrate with the health and wellbeing programmes already running at the scheme, in which homeless people and locals can learn about basic fitness and healthy eating.
Exercise has been shown to have a hugely beneficial effect on people suffering from low self-esteem, mental health issues, or substance misuse problems. The Quays on-site Community Kitchen is already used as a training space for catering and hospitality courses, in partnership with Kent’s Community Chef, to promote good nutrition and a balanced diet to formerly homeless people and the local community. Gym sessions will be combined with regular cooking lessons to provide residents with a holistic approach to their own health, and leave them feeling in control.
Since the Kitchen was set up in 2009 more than 300 homeless individuals benefitted from catering and hospitality training and gained a City & Guilds Level 2 Hygiene Certificate. More than 700 members of the Kent community have also had educational cooking sessions, such as a ‘Cooking on a Budget’ programme run by Quays staff that teaches people how to eat healthily on a budget.
The gym is due to open fully later this year, when local community groups will also be able to make use of the facilities.
Riverside Project Assistant and qualified NVQ Level 2 gym instructor, Andrew Wallis, said: “We are delighted to have new equipment, including a multi-weight bench press and treadmill, thanks to the support from our funders.”
Riverside Team Leader Donna Lee said: “It’s great to have on-site facilities and trained instructors like Andrew here at The Quays to make fitness activities accessible and enjoyable for our customers. We hope that the new and improved gym, combined with our nutritional training and support, will help people to improve their overall wellbeing.”
The project also received funding from the Riverside Foundation, Swale Borough Council, and Kent Police Property Fund.