Wellingtons Youth win out! BIG Lottery award to Tone Leisure

Tone Leisure is delighted to announce that the young people of Wellington and the surrounding area aged 10 – 16 years are to benefit from an inspiring new scheme called Bfit which is being supported for 3 years by the Young People’s Fund 2 Local Grants Programme of the BIG Lottery Fund to the tune of over £200,000.

 The aim of the scheme is to increase and extend the number of opportunities available to young people to volunteer in their community, whether to support their peers in taking part in physical activity or in promoting the project in their local community. Young people will also take part in exciting fitness sessions, including gym classes, in an innovative area that is their own.

 The project will establish a consultation group with 2 fora, one concentrating on the gym area at Wellington Sports Centre, the equipment needed and programming of events, and the other organising staffing and volunteers.

 Internal and external consultation has generated enthusiasm for the project among the young people themselves who will be taking a greater role in its delivery through Peer Mentors and Ambassadorial roles.

 Karen Arnold, Chair Person of Tone Leisure’s Trustees said,

 “I am absolutely delighted at the success of this bid. Not only have the young people themselves been involved from the start and put together the first stage of the bid itself, but they are determined to run the scheme effectively through their own efforts.”

 “The young people of Wellington will not only benefit from better physical, mental and emotional well being through regular participation in activities at the centre, but they will increase their organisational skills through implementing the scheme itself.”

 The project will specifically target excluded young people, including young parents and those attending pupil referral units or living in supported accommodation.

 Wellington Sports Centre currently works with a number of organisations (Scouts, Guides, Courtfields School, Pupil Referral Units, Care Homes for under 19’s) who also work with young people in the local area, and they plan to enlarge on this so that groups of young people will be able to access fitness sessions which are appropriate for their group, available on a regular basis, and using equipment that is appropriate and appealing to their age.  

 There are also plans to include Volunteers recruited locally.

 For more information please contact Mark Washington, Leisure Contracts Manager for Tone Leisure on m.washington@toneleisure.com