Tag Archives: exercise

News

‘Community benefit society’ calls for long-term deal after improving thousands of lives through health and exercise

AURA WALES has improved and enhanced the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across Flintshire and beyond over the last five years.

As the employee-owned community benefit society unveiled its vision for the future, staff and board members met to celebrate its achievements in delivering services that have benefited the health and wellbeing of visitors across the region.

Employing more than 250 staff and pumping millions of pounds into the local economy, Aura revealed social impact data relating to its mission of improving lives through health and exercise.

And its strong financial performance means it can continue to reinvest any surplus generated into its leisure and library facilities and services to improve the customer experience and sustain and enhance its offer for the future.

The organisation has made a huge impact county-wide, helping to tackle loneliness and isolation and via its Sports Development Team, working with youths in Holywell and Mostyn, generated £13.16 of social value for every £1 spent.

Addressing the Aura Wales AGM at Deeside Leisure Centre, where more than 150 employees were in attendance, chair Sara Mogel OBE said their post-pandemic results were an “amazing outcome”.

“As a Community Benefit Society, we are always looking for areas where we can add value and enhance the lives of the people of Flintshire; despite other pressures, last year was no exception,” said Mrs Mogel, who also recorded her gratitude to Flintshire County Council for its collaborative approach and support provided during the challenges of recent years.

“We are working in partnership with all town and community councils to ensure safe, high-quality play areas for Flintshire children – and in doing so have enabled more than £1.5million to be invested in over 120 improvement schemes over the past five years.

“We have helped to redevelop Mold Museum, managed a national project promoting good mental health and well-being through our libraries, continued the highly regarded and successful Fit, Fed and Read schemes – attended by more than 5,000 families and young people this summer – and have reduced energy consumption in our leisure facilities.”

She added: “Our leisure services have seen an uptake in membership and last year alone more than 2,500 children learned to swim with Aura every week, which is amazing.

“Numbers are not just returning to the pre pandemic levels but exceeding them, and as an important employer in Flintshire – 90% of our staff live in the county – we are proud to have maintained services while they are being cut in other counties.

“It is because of how valued we are by our community that I, and the Board, are working hard with our partners to secure a long-term contract so we can access even more external funding, work in partnership with even more organisations and invest even more in our people, our services and our facilities.”

Those words were echoed by Aura’s Business Improvement and Performance Manager Paul Jones, who thanked stakeholders and the public for their support.

“We have had fantastic backing over the years and for that we are very grateful, but moving forward from a strategic perspective having a longer-term contract in place would allow us to make even more sustainable, lasting investments to benefit our service users in Flintshire,” he said.

“And it’s not just this county, the ice arena and other facilities are used by people from all over North Wales, the North West and even further afield, bringing tourism to the area and having a major effect on the local economy.

“The traditional image of leisure centres and libraries has completely changed, they are now health and wellbeing hubs, focal points for social and cultural support and development, and we have very much been at the forefront of that, something our strategic vision recognises and seeks to reinforce.”

Aura’s CEO Mike Welch added: “The work of our incredible team has been reflected in these results post-pandemic.

“We will be in discussions over the coming months about the future – which is looking bright – and again would like to thank everyone who has used Aura since its inception. We will continue to deliver a first-class service for the people of Flintshire for many years to come.”

For more news and information from Aura Wales, visit the website www.aura.wales and follow them on social media at @aura_wales.

Hair and Beauty, Healthcare, News, Wellbeing, Wellbeing News

Free skin ‘workout’ body confidence session to take place to mark National Eczema Week

 Hosted by celebrity fitness trainer, Ciara Madden and AVEENO®
 

To mark National Eczema Week taking place this September, celebrity fitness trainer, Ciara Madden and global healthcare chain AVEENO® are hosting a FREE ‘skin loving’ workout to boost the self-esteem of those who feel reluctant to do physical exercise to avoid flare-ups.

The one-off event will take place on Level 40 of The Gherkin, on Monday 26th September and will be hosted by leading celebrity fitness trainer, Ciara Madden who has worked with the likes of Rita Ora and Maya Jama. 

The low-sweat session will take place from 7:15  – 8.15 am (including a warm-up and cool-down) offering the perfect way to set everyone up for the working day – body and mind. Those who secure a spot will also enjoy a skin-nourishing smoothie to restore the skin’s balance from within.

Attendees will be treated to a bespoke workout designed to limit the triggers of sensitive skin, using a combination of mindful movement and adjusted HIIT exercises, so attendees don’t need to be distracted by the fear of unwanted flare-ups.

As well as the specially crafted routine, Ciara will talk at length to guests about the importance of hydration and skin after-care to protect and restore the skin barrier, which may be compromised following a workout.

AVEENO®  says that “dry and eczema-prone skin should not stop people from feeling their best and achieving daily goals such as exercise. In fact, 1.3 million people suffer from eczema in the UK and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. We hope that those that experience this unique workout will be inspired to get fit with confidence.”

To book a ticket, please visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/work-out-with-aveeno-at-the-gherkin-in-celebration-of-national-eczema-week-tickets-414012662017. 

Tickets are available from today and are free to purchase. Mats and all equipment are provided.

Limited class spaces are available.

Health, News

PAM Health shapes up for expansion

A raft of new recruits and a six-figure IT investment are helping PAM Health to shape up for major expansion this year.

PAM Health is the specialist muscular skeletal retail division of preventative healthcare specialist PAM Group and is based on the Sefton Business Park at Aintree, Merseyside.

It sells exercise, fitness, sports, ergonomic, physiotherapy and rehabilitation equipment to consumers as well as to businesses, professional practitioners and sports clubs.

The division comprises 66Fit and Physio Supplies, which were both acquired from Whiteley Healthcare, a provider of physiotherapy and healthcare products based in Australia and New Zealand.

66Fit is a consumer focused retailer of exercise, fitness and rehabilitation equipment such as mats, weights, balls, aerobic steps, swimming aids, massage therapy and balance training products, supports and braces

Physio Supplies is a specialist provider of sports, physiotherapy and rehabilitation equipment. It supplies professionals such as physiotherapists, healthcare providers and sports clubs with products including orthotics, tapes, bandages, supports, grips, cushions, rolls, pillows and practice essentials such as couches and furniture.

PAM Health, which achieved revenues of £2m in 2021, is aiming to treble in size this year under the leadership of managing director James Langton.

James, who took up his newly-created role in October, has over 15 years’ management experience and an extensive track record of building and developing successful teams, with a focus on the e-commerce and digital sectors.

He has now recruited David Renaud as sales director and Helen Mavrozumi as head of marketing, along with Connor Chapman as a digital marketing executive, Owen Robinson and Aimee Pye as digital marketing apprentices, warehouse operative Mitch Cottle, purchasing executive Megan Hendra and warehouse manager Tony Newsome.

Staff numbers have risen to 16 and further recruitment is planned.

The business, which has invested £130,000 on IT systems in its 30,000 sq ft warehouse, is seeking to achieve its expansion plans through organic growth and potentially acquisitions.

Demand for its range of equipment is increasing as people work from home and develop more neurodiversity needs.

James said: “We have ambitious plans to grow our market share and to do this we need to have the right infrastructure and expertise in place.

“David has extensive senior sales and management experience and Helen is an experienced marketing manager in the SME and start-up sectors. They will prove invaluable additions as we scale up PAM Health.

“Alongside them, we are proud to be providing opportunities for talented local young graduates and apprentices in our marketing, warehousing, customer service and sales operations.

“We have a positive, forward-thinking environment where all of our brands and staff can grow, and we look forward to the future with confidence.”

PAM Group, which has its headquarters in Warrington and employs nearly 700 staff, is one of the largest occupational health, employee assistance programme and wellbeing providers in the UK. It offers a range of integrated services to public and private sector clients, supporting more than 600,000 employees at over 1,000 businesses and organisations.

PAM Group’s services include absence management, physiotherapy, employee assistance programmes, psychological support, corporate health assessments and neurodiversity assessments, drug and alcohol screening.

The group is looking to double turnover to £80m over the next few years through continued organic growth and acquisitions. Last year the company received backing from private equity firm LDC to support its growth and the launch of new products and services.