GoodGym Launch Community Outreach Campaign

September 23, 2022 

GoodGym, a UK-based fitness charity that combines regular exercise with community service, has launched Power the Good -- a campaign to support 2000 community organisations and isolated older people during the cost-of-living crisis this Autumn. 

Born out of the frustration with “normal gyms being a waste of energy and human potential”, GoodGym has been working to harness this “energy” and make it easier for people to channel it towards social good in their local communities. One of its main focuses is tackling loneliness and isolation amongst older people. 

According to Age UK, more than two million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million older people say they go over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member. 89% of adults in Britain reported an increase in their cost of living in August of this year. With a projection of this figure increasing again this autumn, elderly people could face challenges of being able to eat at least one cooked meal a day and going without heating this winter. 

Now open in 59 areas across the UK, GoodGym’s new campaign has a target of helping 2000 community missions and supporting 2000 older people. Members incorporate their daily physical activity when travelling to and from their “missions” or “tasks”. These community missions are one-off practical tasks to help older isolated people such as delivering a prescription, building flat-pack furniture or changing batteries in their smoke alarm. The tasks also support local projects and initiatives such as food banks, community kitchens and parks.

GoodGym members who wish to participate in the campaign will have to choose their own Power the Good goal, which includes committing to a different community mission each week, attending GoodGym every week until the end of November, signing up for a group run each week to support an older person with a one-off task or beating a personal best whilst walking, running or cycling to a community mission. 

Members can then follow up their goals with a public pledge on social media platforms. They will also be encouraged to raise awareness of the campaign and the issue at hand for isolated older people.