A new £13.5 million leisure centre with swimming pool and state-of-the-art fitness facilities opens its…
Study shows Wellness Hubs can help tackle health inequalities
Max Associates and 4Global were commissioned to assess the social return and community impact of the Wellness Hub at Grimsby Health and Wellbeing Centre in North East Lincolnshire an area with high deprivation and health inequalities.
The study showed that the Wellness Hub – which has inclusive fitness solutions including power-assisted machines supplied by Innerva – benefits those who don’t typically engage with conventional fitness facilities, attracting older adults, those on low incomes and people with long term health conditions.
The study found that by meeting the needs of those who are under-represented in traditional facilities, the Wellness Hub has generated exceptional social value (£187,139) for the community, earning a place in the top 10 per cent of facilities when compared to sector-wide benchmarks across the UK.
Is also shows how much users value the hub, which is operated by charitable trust Lincs Inspire, with many travelling past leisure facilities closer to their homes to use the specialist power-assisted equipment.
According to the study, the Wellness Hub in Grimsby has positively impacted the lives of people living with a range of conditions including CHD stroke, breast cancer, colour cancer, Type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression, hip fractures and back pain. In addition, regular Wellness Hub users have reduced their visits to the GP.
The research shows the hub is meeting its ambitions to engage older people, with 46 per cent of users aged over 65. This is the borough’s largest population group, but historically under-represented in leisure centres.
Lisa Forsyth, MD of Max Associates, said: “In a region where physical activity rates fall below the England average, the Wellness Hub is successfully attracting people who would not use a conventional gym. With more than 1,000 unique users, the hub is significantly impacting activity levels and, also has extensive benefits for mental health and social wellbeing.”
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