In My Own Words: Mervyn’s mission at Fairfield Leisure
Mervyn's making our Communities healthier!
At Places Leisure, we understand that fitness can be tricky for some people to get involved in, especially if you live with chronic condition. However, our Communities are full of People aiming to “Do The Right Thing. Always” for our Customers by breaking down barriers to exercise.
One such Colleague is Mervyn Dunkley, a Fitness Manager at our Fairfield Leisure centre in Kent.
Mervyn has been at the centre for just over two years now, and in that time, there’s been a lot of work that he’s got stuck into.
Along with overseeing much of the centre’s gym-based offerings, Mervyn has helped put the wheels in motion for more work to be done to get the local Community healthier and more active. Over the last 9 months, it’s a side of our business which has really taken off.
The Move and Shout programme is one example. Created by Parkinson’s UK, it’s a bespoke, weekly group exercise class which helps Customers living with Parkinson’s stay active and manage their symptoms.
People who have Parkinson’s can be physically active and strong in the early stages of the disease, but as it progresses, Parkinson’s can lead to a range of physical changes. Decreased muscle strength can affect everyday activities such as walking and standing up, while loss of flexibility can hinder balance.
“It’s gone really, really well and it’s been quite self-sufficient, the participants are excited that it’s relaunched this month.” Mervyn said.
“Many of the participants who took part in the Move and Shout programme were signed up to a complimentary membership so that they could keep on moving while the programme was paused over the summer break. I didn’t want their activity to drop off, it’s so important to encourage them to stay active due to the symptoms that come with Parkinson’s, and this helps us to help them do that.”
A Parkinson’s UK volunteer also comes to Fairfield Leisure to host coffee mornings every month alongside Mervyn and Fairfield’s General Manager, John. “We always join in and have a coffee and a chat and whatnot; the participants have really become a part of the centre, which is fantastic.” Mervyn added.
Getting different Community groups healthier and more active doesn’t stop here though. The centre also offers swimming lessons to All Directions and Peppercorns, both of which are local living skills providers for people living with disabilities. For the ‘Saheli’ group (a local Sikh Community), staff hold weekly chair-based exercise classes at a local Gurdwara as well as Aqua Balance and Stretch & Tone sessions.
In speaking with Mervyn, it’s become clear that the local Community work is a constant reminder of why he’s involved with this area of the business. For many people, it’s vital.
“For me it’s the joy on people’s faces. It’s really heartwarming, our communities are so appreciative for everything that we do for them.” he said.
Some of the participants of the Move and Shout programme even have a Whatsapp group chat which Mervyn, and a Move and Shout Instructor, Ellie, are involved in. Over the summer they’ve been scheduling in days where they can all meet at the centre together as a group to keep the Move and Shout team spirit going strong!
“It’s really, really good to see, and you know they’re going to stick together and support each other. They want to get super strong for the relaunch and their camaraderie is just so special.” Mervyn told us.
This work has also been beneficial to Mervyn’s own development within Places Leisure. Since being with us, he has completed the Mental Health First Aider course, the Trauma Risk Management Practitioner course, a management and leadership diploma and the exercise referral diploma. Mervyn is also coming up to the end of the Flight Path programme, an internal programme we offer to employees who wish to progress their career into a leadership role in the future.
“I've never worked for a place where I feel totally aligned to the values…the investment in our people is second to none. For me, it shows that they’re really investing in their people and want to see them grow. Other workplaces aren’t so much like that, but there’s such a focus on it here.” Mervyn added.
So, what’s next? Simply put, for those who may not be able to get to the centre, we’re going to come to them.
“I’m really passionate about working with these particular groups and having a part to play in that social impact, that's important to me. There are so many more opportunities. I meet with the Health Lead at Dartford Borough Council every couple of months, and I think going forwards, we’ll start to venture out into the community more to take exercise to those who may not be able to get to our centre. I really see that kind of the direction for the business.” he said.
Mervyn’s experience is a testament to what Community looks and feels like, and how people can find it within our People, our centres, and even outside of them too. By providing tailored support and fostering encouraging, inclusive environments, we’re opening more doors for our Communities.
Within our 80+ centres, our commitment to engage with and meet the needs of our Communities keeps on going. We’re not just here to motivate people to become fitter, our places are where the whole Community can come together to exercise and socialise. We are proud to be working with many of our partners to explore ways in which we can increase access to those hard-to-reach Communities.