Free NHS fitness platform seeks leisure partners to champion growth

DOING Our Bit – the award-winning, free to participate 24-7 one-stop shop for fitness, health and wellness for NHS and social care staff – is calling on leisure sector businesses and individuals to do their bit to champion its next stage of growth and future-proof its services.

Launched three years ago to support NHS staff during the first 2020 Covid pandemic, Doing Our Bit has recently formed a not-for-profit company, relaunched its platform and created an App for users.

Its next goal is to offer in-person sessions at leisure centres and gyms before embarking on a series of activities designed to improve the health the 1.4 million NHS and social care workers who, among them, are responsible for the nation’s wellbeing.

Doing Our Bit is the largest ‘free to participate’ portal providing a blueprint for improved wellbeing of workers across the UK. Created by the NHS for the NHS, its purpose is to provide content, classes and a community.

At a time when sickness levels among NHS staff are at an all-time high, Doing Our Bit is completely focused on driving forwards the Preventative Health movement through free access to physical activity sessions and mental wellbeing resources.

So far more than 140 healthcare employers have registered with Doing Our Bit giving more than 750,000 NHS and social care staff access to free wellbeing information and on-demand videos.

The updated platform, new App, free In-person activities and communitybased activities will combine to engage many more of the NHS and social care workforce. But Doing Our Bit needs support from the leisure sector to scale this and make it a reality.

At the outset in March 2020, three founding partners – Active IQ, fibodo and Study Active – pledged their help to Doing Our Bit’s founder, Julie Davis. Their unwavering support, underpinned by Leisure Net since 2022, has enabled Doing Our Bit to evolve and keep pace with people’s changing healthcare needs.

Now registered as a not-for-profit organisation, Doing Our Bit Limited is looking once more to the leisure industry seeking partnership support and sponsorship funds to invest into growing the reach of the platform, introducing dedicated staff and engaging with as many as possible of the 1.4m NHS and social care staff across the UK through providing: n On-demand video workouts. n In-person exercise and wellness classes. n Group activities. n Training buddies. n Community events.

A number of opportunities exist for stakeholders across key leisure sectors who not only recognise and support the social value of Doing Our Bit to the NHS, but also want to contribute to its success.

Doing Our Bit ensures organisations are uniquely placed to benefit from being associated with the wellbeing of the nation’s key workers across the NHS and social care

“When I came up with the idea to help my NHS and social care colleagues manage during the pandemic, I couldn’t have imagined how far the Doing Our Bit platform would come,” said Doing Our Bit founder Julie Davis.

“The support from the founding partners was phenomenal but just the start of an incredible journey. The pandemic may be behind us now but the need to protect the wellbeing of NHS and social care staff has never been greater.

“I believe the updated platform, new App, in-person sessions and the formation of a Doing Our Bit community has huge potential to bring about lasting change.”

The variety of Doing Our Bit activities will continue to be curated and expanded as the platform develops, limited only by the imagination of its partners and the NHS.

On-demand content already includes yoga, HIIT and bodyweight sessions, meditation, dance and Pilates. Doing Our Bit is actively seeking more sessions from more PTs to grow this further and keep things fresh for participants.

“I would like to thank everyone who has stepped up to help Doing Our Bit reach this stage and am looking forward to working with more partners and sponsors who share our vision to support the health of those who work tirelessly to support our nation’s wellbeing,” added Julie.