22 Apr 2020
Hi there,
I hope you are well and keeping active.
Friday just gone was 1 month since we were forced to closed. I have to say that night was such a surreal and really sad experience for me particularly when we locked the door behind the last club member to leave, not knowing when we would be back.
However as we come to terms with the current situation we must aim for the positive light at the end of this. The time when we can get back to our daily lives (with some extra measures) and start introducing those things that we are familiar with; start our routines again. Whether you visit us before work, at 9am or just before bed, keep that routine firmly in your mind. We’re not far away and we can’t wait to start looking after you all again. You can be sure that we have plans in place to open the club with just a moment’s notice following, strictly, the guidance that will be provided by the UK Active, our trade association.
It goes without saying however, for now, we should stay at Home and protect the NHS. To those members of ours that are working through this time please allow me to say thank you so much. Each Thursday we clap for our carers and appreciate all you do, more than ever.
Our online exercise classes have been a great success and it has been really satisfying to see so many of you taking part. We have seen members from Hereford, and former members in Bristol and France taking part! That’s just great but one thing the numbers do suggest to us though is there is no better feeling that being in our studios, with our instructors and your fellow members. Cardiostep with Bridgette, Combat with Hazel, Pilates with Janie, Spin with Stu; I know you all miss the buzz of it and let’s not forget the great James Gourmet Coffee afterwards.
I know some of you will feel more isolated than others. A study by The Co-op and the British Red Cross revealed over 9 million people in the UK across all adult ages – more than the population of London – are either always or often lonely. Another study showed that over half (51%) of all people aged 75 and over live alone. We have a great community spirit at Holmer Park and a family with over 2000 members. No one needs to feel alone. The team and I have the pleasure of heading our family so if there is anything we can do to facilitate a call with another club member please let me know. Or if you would like to talk to me then hit that reply button, get in touch and I’ll give you a call. Also, you may have seen The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the BBC talking about mental health during these unprecedented times and they very helpfully highlighted the Every Mind Matters campaign. You can get lots of support about Mental Health by visiting https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
The many Club Members I have spoken with always like to hear what the team are all doing and what is happening at the club. So, we have joined the Zoom revolution and regularly meet via our phones and computers to have a catch up. Many of the team are gardening, keeping fit and enjoying time with their children. Some of us are doing online courses like Retention Manager Faith and I. Faith is doing a sign language course and I have started my NEBOSH Health and Safety course. The club is being cared for fabulously by the Team at Mosaic HQ. Being locally owned but nationally supported means we have the very best people championing our club and preparing plans to ensure we reopen stronger than ever. In addition, as I mentioned in edition 30 of Holmers Headlines, the club has a very technical security system with remotely monitored CCTV as well as fire alarms and other safety measures.
Let me an update on what you’ll be seeing on our online platforms soon. We’re currently working on our next few fitness timetables, a video made possible by our friends at the Hereford Soul Choir and more home beauty and workout tips. We’d also love to hear from you about things that you would like us to do. Could it be a fitness q and a with the team, an online quiz (we may have to speak to our resident quiz master for that) or some more spa facemasks. If it is possible then we’ll try and make it happen. Finally may I ask that if you are able to, to please continue to support the great charities that we work with. Our 2 main charities are Breast Cancer Haven and St Michael’s Hospice and we also support West Midlands Air Ambulance and The Royal National College for the Blind. Their websites are: https://www.breastcancerhaven.org.uk/urgentappeal https://www.st-michaels-hospice.org.uk/donate/ https://www.midlandsairambulance.com/donatenow https://www.rnc.ac.uk/support-us/make-donation As usual, thank you for being part of the Holmer Park family.
Stay safe and we’ll see you soon!
Steven
Steven Chadwick General Manager