Community Engagement

Community engagement at the FIA seeks to actively involve both its members and the public by promoting programmes and campaigns whereby physical activity is the main motive. Through building on relationships, outlining ambitions and working to targets the FIA ensure that their schemes embody a healthy message.

  

Shift Into Sports      

Shift into Sports has been developed in partnership with Addison Lee, Sport England and the Mayor of London. Shift Into Sports provides the opportunity for shift workers who often find it difficult to take part in sport and physical activity, to access high quality fitness facilities, at flexible times, at a reduced rate, with no fixed contract, when booking online via www.shiftintosports.com

Potential participants are enrolled via an online booking system on the Shift into Sports website which is also serving as the primary management tool of the programme.

Following successful roll out in London, the programme is now operating across the UK. Shift into Sports is gaining momentum with new rolling in and new businesses promoting the programme to their employers.   

The ambition for Shift into Sports is to provide opportunities for all shift workers nationally - 3.6 million workers across the UK (14%) primarily employed in shift work.

To get involved and find out more about Shift into Sports, log in to the members area here.

Let's Get Moving

The FIA, in partnership with behaviour change specialists Scintillate, database specialists Maracis and Fitlinxx have been commissioned by a consortium of 5 Essex Primary Care Trusts to deliver a programme called Let's Get Moving.

Let's Get Moving is a physical activity intervention based on motivational interviewing techniques. The initiative is being delivered by 8 committed exercise professionals from our member clubs who received training in motivational interviewing, enabling them to act as Clinical Exercise Practitioners for the duration of the programme.

Let's Get Moving is now fully underway with all 7 of the GP surgeries delivering sessions to their patients. It is expected that this intervention will continue to the end of 2011 and a comprehensive evaluation at the beginning of 2012.

Getting Involved:

If you are an FIA member based in Essex and would like to be involved we require you to provide an affordable, short term membership or non-membership based option to enable participants to maintain the level of physical activity upon exiting Let’s Get Moving.

If you would like more information on the programme please click on the right or contact Ruth baker on 020 7420 8580 or at ruth@fia.org.uk

GO Curves

GO Curves is the Fitness Industry Association's (FIA's) latest Girls Only programme which links our registered Curves gyms with their local secondary schools, targeting 15-16 year old girls.

The programme, which lasts for a minimum of six weeks per school term, offers participants the chance to experience a range of new and exciting activities at Curves with a view to increasing and sustaining their activity levels.

In addition to exercise, the programme covers a range of topics such as nutrition, health and self confidence. It is designed to increase physical activity to the recommended levels through attitudinal shift and improved self esteem. Following the programme, participants are signposted into exit routes at Curves to ensure that there are fun and affordable exercise options available.
The GO programme can be tailored to suit different operator members, regions or physical activity genres depending on needs of the client.

Moreactive4life

The FIA sub-brand of the Change4Life campaign, supported by the Department of Health. Launched in late June 2009, the campaign puts health clubs and leisure centres at the heart of local communities to encourage families to eat well and move more.

The campaign encourages FIA members to think beyond their facilities and lead local walking groups to promote a ‘less sitting, more moving' approach by embracing the wider community. This programme aims to demonstrate to participants the ease of which physical activity can be incorporated into daily life.

The campaign reached 200,000 in 2009 and is still growing.

Be Clear on Cancer - FIA Members Support First Government Cancer Campaign

Launched by Health Minister Paul Burstow, the ‘Be Clear on Cancer' campaign was initially piloted in two regions of England (South West and East). This new campaign aimed to make people aware of the early signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and encouraged them to visit their GP. The message was promoted within FIA members health clubs and leisure centres using posters and leaflets.

In addition to this, REPs members received a letter introducing the initiative and its aims and objectives. They also received a credit-card sized information card to carry as an educational tool. Getting involved provided the opportunity to earn CPD points - simply displaying the posters or reading the credit card information earnt 1 CPD point that could be registered through the REPs log in.

Yoodo

The Fitness Industry Association, in partnership with Leonard Cheshire Disability and Sport England has launched ‘Yoodo Sports’, a new initiative (piloting in Yorkshire) to help people with disabilities take up and enjoy physical activity.

Yoodo Sports will bring disabled people together with activity ‘buddies’ – people who may or may not have an impairment themselves but want to help others play sport or be active.  The initiative will make it easier to find someone to exercise with and have fun in doing so.

FIA members throughout Yorkshire are supporting the campaign by offering discounted and/or trial memberships for local people with disabilities and those with a long term health condition. The Yoodo Sports pilot in Yorkshire will run in Leeds, Bradford, Richmond, Catterick, Kirklees, Huddersfield, Northallerton and Thirsk and be rolled out across England in 2012. and is available to those over 18 by visiting www.yoodosports.com.

If you would like more information click here 

The Great Swapathon 

In January 2011, the FIA worked in partnership with Asda, News of the World and other partners to deliver a Change4Life sub-brand campaign created by The Department of Health - "The Great Swapathon".

The aim of the campaign was to encourage people to make a positive start to 2011, by supporting them to swap their daily routine for something more active; helping the nation eat well, move more, drink less and live longer.

Throughout this campaign, 5 million voucher chequebooks were distributed across the nation, each containing 20 healthy lifestyle vouchers, 2 of which were physical activity offers:

• One month discounted gym or fitness membership
• Half price swim for the family

The FIA built a website, allowing members of the public to search and view swim and gym membership offers in their area, put forward by FIA members. The website allowed people to book swims online (and pay at site) and book and purchase fitness memberships online.

Over 1000 of our operator member sites took part in the campaign. Click here for further details.