Active lives

Meet the Orams. Their physical activity journey with Trafford Leisure started more than 20 years ago when mum, Sarah, 47, became a member. Eight years ago they extended this to a family membership to include their son Stan. Stan started swimming lessons at Partington Leisure Centre when he was just 3, eventually moving over to Urmston where he completed the Swim England Learn to Swim programme. Now the whole family keep fit and healthy together, with Sarah and dad, Stuart, 40, using the pool, gym and classes and Stan enjoying dodge ball, holiday camps and getting ready to use the gym too now he’s 11. The whole family plays badminton and table tennis together too. “We love coming to Urmston as a family,” says Stuart. “The family membership fee is really reasonable, we’ve made friends and the staff are great. It’s a brilliant social environment and other people really give you the motivation to work hard. I love the classes, particularly circuits.”

Meet the Orams

Active Living Referral - The first step is the hardest Just ask your GP...

With seven GP surgeries signed up to refer patients to our physical activity programme across West Trafford, if you fit the

Dr. Chris Tower, GP at Davyhulme Medical Centre explains how it works. “If you have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, obesity or a previous stroke, for example, your doctor may initiate the conversation about the benefits of physical activity and refer you to the Active Living Team at Trafford Leisure, who will get in touch to talk you through your options.

Rachael’s five simple steps to getting started: 1. Once referred by your doctor or healthcare provider, a friendly member of the Trafford Leisure Active Living team will call for an informal chat.

The saying goes something like... ‘It’s getting through the door that’s the hard bit’ and according to Rachael Forde, Active Living Manager at Trafford Leisure, it’s pretty much true. Having supported the local community in getting started on their exercise referral journeys since it was launched, she knows what she’s talking about.

2. You’ll then agree a time and date to come and meet the team, when you’ll be shown around and a few measurements, such as height, weight and blood pressure, will be taken. This is a really

“It’s the perception of the gym that people

good way to see if the programme is working well for you when you are re-assessed at the end of the eight

are uncertain of. I often hear people say ‘I’m

week course.

not a gym person’, but there are so many different activities on offer, from swimming,

3. You’ll be introduced to your instructor, who will be fully qualified in looking after people with your health issues, so they’ll know exactly what activities you can and can’t do.

chair-based classes and dancing to Nordic is something for everyone. We even offer

make sure you are happy.

simple circuit sessions and simple indoor cycling sessions, using basic exercises to

package - a further 10 months access to all Trafford Leisure’s centres at a reduced rate.

make sure everyone is comfortable. The physical activity referral helps support people with physical and mental health conditions,

The future looks bright, the bricks and mortar will change but the choice of activities and levels of participation will grow. Please come and try us yourself...

" Try us for yourself

an activity you enjoy,” said Rachael.

looking a bit slumped and moving very

Complimentary Zest Health & Fitness 3 day pass This pass is valid at any Trafford Leisure Centre for 3 consecutive days untill 31/10/17

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so whatever your needs we will help you find

“In week one many participants come in

Terms & Conditions Apply.

to ‘Active Lives’ our first ever edition of what’s been happening in and around your local leisure centres and how you can get involved. We are Trafford Leisure CIC, a community interest company, established on the 1st October 2015, which means we want to use our profits and assets for the public good.

We hope you enjoy reading some of the stories from our current customers making changes, how our exercise referral programme is going and it won’t be long until we can share fully the exciting plans for Urmston Leisure Centre. Please do let us know your e-mail address and we will add you to our database to ensure you are always up to date with what’s happening in sport and physical activity for your local area. info@traffordleisure.co.uk

New lease of life for Carrington resident Carrington resident, Bernadette Baker, has completely turned her life around since joining Urmston Leisure Centre’s exercise referral programme back in November last year. Bernadette suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a progressive lung disease that causes shortness of breath, for her, everyday activities such as walking up stairs is difficult and because of this Bernadette dropped into deep depression. She was referred to Urmston Leisure Centre by the hospital, they suggested exercise would help her feel less down and assist in her losing weight.

walking and badminton, that there really

4. They will set you up with an activity programme and meet with you several times during the course, to

5. At the end of the eight weeks you’ll be re-assessed and offered a graduate membership

Welcome

We employ more than 400 staff and offer a huge range of activities both in our leisure centres and on our golf course as well as out in the community. We are committed to ensuring we have something for everyone; the child just starting out in life at 3 months old through to our most senior customers of 90 years of age who really are leading by example in staying well and physically active. Whatever your age, fitness level or your goal, Trafford Leisure has something for you!

criteria, being referred by your local doctor should be fairly simple. If you’re already seeing a nurse or a physiotherapist for an existing condition, they can refer you as well.

“Whilst not entirely free, the programme costs just £20 for eight weeks and with the full support of the specially trained team at your local leisure centre, we could soon have you on your way to completing the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week - it’s proven to have a significant impact on reducing all kinds of health risks and conditions, including blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, falls, depression and type 2 diabetes, as well as breast and bowel cancer, to name a few. But it doesn’t need to come from us, if you think you are eligible to take part, simply make an appointment with your GP and request an exercise referral.”

CONNECTING TRAFFORD WEST

slowly, but as the weeks progress you can see people walking taller, coming in happy and confident and talking to the centre staff

“I’ve been active all my life,” says Bernadette, but once diagnosed with COPD I was scared of getting breathless. I used to have quite a stressful job, but anxiety brings on the attacks so I had to give that up and just sat at home eating and drinking. My mental health plummeted. I knew I needed to find something so I was happy to give it a go and I haven’t looked back.” At just 58, Bernadette’s doctor warned her she would be a lot younger than the other participants at the pulmonary rehabilitation classes, but that didn’t stop her making friends for life and laughing her way through the sessions.

- it makes my job so worthwhile. It’s not

Did You Know... Around 1,150 local people take part in Trafford Leisure’s exercise on referral schemes every year - with exercise generally being prescribed by their GP.

Providing local jobs for local people - Trafford Leisure has more than 400 employees.

You don’t have to visit a leisure centre to be active! Twenty nine Healthy Hips and Heart chair-based exercise classes take place in the local community each week. Designed to improve strength and balance, the classes, led by trained volunteers, are a great place to meet people and make new friends whilst reducing the risk of ill health and falls, as well as improving balance and overall wellbeing. There’s a class every day in the West locality, just ask for advice on the best class for you at your local leisure centre or visit www.traffordleisure.co.uk.

More than 2,400,000 litres of water fill Trafford Leisure’s ten swimming pools. With the average bath holding 80 litres, that’s equivalent to a bath every day of your life from birth to 82!

“When I saw the age of the other people I automatically thought ‘it’s not for me’, but they are the funniest group of people I’ve ever met and I really looked forward to going,” she says. “Everyone had a similar condition to me and it was a controlled environment with pulmonary specialists, so my fears of exercising were taken away. The instructor used a pulse oximeter to measure my heart rate and the oxygen in my blood in-between each set of exercises, so they could tell how hard I was working. “Now I automatically know what level of exertion my body can cope with,” continues Bernadette, who has progressed from pulmonary rehabilitation classes to Simple Circuits and sessions in the gym. “They teach you it all and that’s the beauty of it.” Bernadette has now lost a stone and a half in weight, which also gave her confidence to go to the leisure centre’s gym. She’s achieved her bronze and silver Body Magic awards for exercise at Slimming World and is now working towards her platinum.

External funding helps to pay for specialist activities such as The Active Families programme, which enables families with children aged 5 - 13 to access free activities in a leisure centre or wider community. It’s funded by Trafford Early Help, which aims to ensure support services are there when families need them

More than 11,000 children learn to swim through programmes at Trafford Leisure pools every year!

Trafford’s leisure centres are open a total of 651 hours, with more than 170 exercise classes on offer each week and that’s not including golf!

Trafford Leisure has around 100 different membership types - ensuring there’s something suitable for everyone. Just ask at reception for help in finding the ideal membership for you!

always the big weight losses or muscle gains that are the most rewarding. It’s the small steps people take to improve their health and wellbeing.”

INSIDE:

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FRIENDS FOR LIFE - SO MUCH MORE THAN A LEISURE CENTRE

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MAKING DREAMS HAPPEN

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MEET THE ORAMS

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Are you interested in helping out on the community walks or Healthy Hips and Heart sessions? If you’ve got time on your hands and would like to find out more, email: activeliving@traffordleisure.co.uk.

WHAT WE OFFER

Did You Know...

What Trafford Leisure has to offer... In your local Trafford West • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Did you know there are 10 different walks run by volunteers across the borough each week and they’re free to join! Routes

vary depending on ability and range from just thirty minutes to one and a half hours. Ask for more details at your local leisure

centre or take a look at our website (http://www.traffordleisure.co.uk/outdoor-activities-timetable/) for more information!

Gymnastics Trafford - Gymnastics & Trampolining Gym Exercise Classes & Spinning Badminton intu Trafford Centre Basketball Trafford Park Netball Davyhulme Millenium Football George H Carnall Nature Reserve Leisure Centre Healthy Hips & Hearts Nordic & Health Walks Davyhulme Short Tennis Park Urmston Leisure Table Tennis Centre Abbotsford Taekwondo Park Karate Swimming Jogging Club Carrington Riding Centre Karate

Friends for life - so much more than a leisure centre When Janet Grant joined Stretford Leisure Centre ten years ago, she hoped to change her life in many ways, but never thought she would also make a friend for life. Janet was born with the genetic disorder Usher Syndrome Type 1 - the leading cause of deafblindness - and was deaf from birth. She attended a residential school where the teachers thought she

Old Trafford Sports Barn Stretford Sports Village

was lazy and not paying attention, but actually she was gradually going blind. Janet borrowed a sign language book from the library and taught herself, eventually attending Harrogate College where she also learnt

Braille. She was completely blind by the age of 21. “I just wanted to get active and get moving, as well as lose some weight and generally get healthier, so I joined Trafford Leisure’s weight management course as a Zest Member to help with my health and improve my fitness levels as well as lose weight” said Janet, now 53.

Sale Leisure Centre Cross Lane Park

And that’s where she met long-time friend and manager of the weight management course, West Locality Health & Fitness Manager, Kelly Jackson. “I had no prior knowledge of British Sign Language,” said Kelly. “But both Janet and her communicator guide, Sarah, taught me how to communicate, as well as buying me books

Partington Sports Village

and Braille equipment so I could create Janet’s exercise programmes and nutritional information for her and just generally communicate with her as a friend. Janet is very good at sign and always

Altrincham Golf Course

Other facilities...

The closing of George H Carnall

George H Carnall will not close until the development plans for Urmston Leisure Centre have been completed and the customers enjoying fitness, aerobics, gymnastics, and other sports can be transferred. Some clubs will move to Stretford, Steve Pullen MBE, Head coach from the club and GB National Coach said, “We are really happy to move to Stretford Sports Village, it is a great venue and all the equipment and space we need is there. Of course there is a bit of sadness as we have been at George H Carnall for so long but we are excited to fully use the new facilities at Stretford and looking forward to new challenges and I think it will be great for the Judo club’’. Please do let us know your e-mail address and we can keep you updated on this news. info@traffordleisure.co.uk 2

knew what I meant to say or write in Braille. “Within the first few sessions we formed a strong friendship and the more I got to know about Janet the more I wanted to learn to communicate with her. We became firm friends and two

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Bowling at the parks

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Paradise Island – mini golf

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Total Ninja

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Jump Nation

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Trafford Centre - Driving Range

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Oxygen

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Chill Factore

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Airkix – Skydive

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Land of Play

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Turn Moss

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Barton Clough

Janet lost a stone during the first 12-week course, as well as inches and continues to keep healthy, attending the gym, swimming, indoor cycling and abs, spine and

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Flixton Girls

posture classes. She’s re-enrolled on the next weight management course that started on the 5th September.

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Urmston Grammar School

Altrincham Leisure Centre

years ago Janet came all the way to Scotland to share my wedding day. She is such a wonderful lady and her positive outlook on life is inspiring. It really is an honour to work with such a determined lady. She can say certain words, despite the fact she’s never

The Grammar

Other facilities: 4G pitch and/or sports hall Tennis, bowls & outdoor park

heard anyone talk and has even learnt how to say my name. “Janet is always in a positive mood and always smiling, she doesn’t let her disability hold her back. She has been abroad with her communicator guide to the Caribbean, Egypt, Cuba and Mexico. She has been swimming with dolphins, quad biking, tobogganing, snorkelling and even completed a massage and aromatherapy course at college.”

If you’d like to find out more about Trafford Leisure’s weight management courses, please email Kelly.jackson@traffordleisure.co.uk. Or to find out how the

Making Dreams Happen

friendly, welcoming team can help support you generally with information regarding activity sessions or memberships you can contact any of Trafford Leisure Centres in person or via www.traffordleisure.co.uk.

Double Olympic Gold medallist Taekwondo player, Jade Jones, travelled from Flint four times a week to hone her skills at Sale, George H Carnall and Urmston Leisure Centres under the guidance of coach Paul Green and his father Brian. Jade still trains with Paul, who also represented Great Britain at the Athens Olympics in 2004. Brian, who runs the successful Manchester Aces Taekwondo club currently run out of George H Carnall Leisure Centre, said “It all started from a discussion thirty years ago. The story began when my sons were promising Taekwondo players and I soon realised that in order for them to compete at the highest level they had to train like professionals. I needed a venue and Trafford Leisure was happy to provide George H Carnall.” The club is still providing the national team with players, and Jade still trains with the club since she went to the national team. Brian added “Since finding out about the closure of George Carnall I think the three options you have provided will greatly benefit the club moving forward. I am keen to continue within Trafford since we have had a great relationship over the years.”

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