Horizon Leisure’s Wellbeing Hub, situated within the Meridian Shopping Centre and supported by Havant Borough Council, offers a departure from traditional fitness facilities. Designed with a welcoming reception area featuring sofas upfront and the gym discreetly tucked away, the hub provides a non-intimidating environment for visitors. Since its launch in June 2023, the hub has attracted participation from various health providers, including South Health and Smokefree Hampshire. It serves as a hub for community-centric initiatives such as a weight management programme, smoking cessation classes, and specialised men's and women's weightlifting programmes. Equipped with a variety of exercise tools, from free weights to cardiovascular machines, the hub also features a dedicated studio for group classes and accepts GP referrals. Health services include free health checks for early detection of conditions such as diabetes, and high cholesterol and blood pressure, complemented by an eight-week 'Foundations' exercise orientation programme, which often progresses to full memberships at Horizon Leisure centres.
Mike Lyons, CEO of Horizon Leisure, explains the ethos behind the hub: ‘Our goal is to get people through the door and onto a path of exercise by subsidising and heavily discounting initial engagements. Once they develop a habit, we encourage sustained physical activity.’ While the Horizon Leisure centres receive around a million visits per year, around a third of the Havant borough population is considered to be inactive or haven’t met the government guidance. ‘So we started to think about how do we target the people that are truly inactive and leading a sedentary lifestyle, including children in deprived wards within the community?’ explains Lyons.
‘There were some vacant units in the Meridian Shopping Centre, which is where people go about their everyday lives. If we could get somebody over the threshold of the shop, we could then put them on a pathway to exercise, by subsidising and heavily discounting.’ Since its inception, 33.3% of 'Foundations' participants have transitioned to full memberships, with 86.2% motivated to continue their fitness journey. The hub further supports community health with beginner group exercise classes, rehabilitation sessions with NHS physiotherapists, and specialised 'pod' equipment for blood pressure monitoring, providing direct feedback to GP practices for early intervention. www.horizonlc.com/community/horiz on-wellbeing-hub/
PentathlonGB
Pentathlon GB, the national governing body for the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon, has launched seven hubs across the UK to help increase participation and access to the sport. A second phase is expected to open later this year. As a result, the organisation has seen an increased geographical reach across the UK, including city centres, Scotland and Wales. There’s also a focus on Penta+ as the participation/entrance route into the sport, which comprises of Penta Run, Penta Swim, Penta Shoot, Penta Fence, Penta Obstacle and Penta Ride. The hubs will have four different tiers of excellence depending on their level of provision, and will focus on areas including Talent for elite athletes, Development for those making progression in the sport, Foundation for beginners and Penta+. Steph Parsons, head of participation at Pentathlon GB said: ‘A key criteria is that each hub must support its own local community and offer open access to our sports, meaning local people can engage with Pentathlon and learn more about the sport at informal, fun ‘have a go’ sessions without committing…We urge local community leaders, schools and sports clubs to connect with our hubs to see what we have on offer and how they can get involved in our multi-disciplined sport.’ www.pentathlongb.org
