Under the Radar - Small Centers Make a Big Impact

Written by 5 Healthy Towns Foundation staff

This past year you may have read about Chelsea and Dexter Wellness Centers in the local papers. From Dexter Wellness Center’s sale to Dexter Community Schools or Timber Creek Counseling’s move into Chelsea Wellness Center, there have been a lot of changes between the two big centers.

What may have gone more under the radar is 5 Healthy Towns involvement in, and support of Manchester Wellness Center (MWC) and Stockbridge Wellness Center (SWC), respectfully. Research emphasizes the importance that available spaces to exercise and group exercise opportunities have on a local community. Our friends at the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute provide evidence that having places for physical activity and community fitness programs are best practice approaches to having healthier communities.

MWC was created as the result of a shared-use agreement between 5 Healthy Towns Foundation and Manchester Community Schools (MCS) to convert approximately 4,500 square feet of underutilized space in an old wrestling facility behind Riverside Intermediate School into a small wellness center open to the public. 5HF oversaw operations at the center until 2020, when operational control was transferred to MCS. The school district continues to receive financial support from the foundation to offset expenses.

Manchester and Stockbridge Wellness Centers, while not as big as their sister centers, provide opportun i ties for people to access first-rate facilities closer to home.

Manchester Wellness Center provides the Silver Sneakers program, which offers a free membership to seniors. The Center is open to the community on weekdays 6 am-1 pm and 3-7:30 pm and Saturday from 7 am-noon. Group exercise, spinning, and yoga classes are also available. You can learn more about Manchester Wellness Center by calling 734.428.9960 or accessing the Wellness Center website through Manchester Community Schools’ Manchesterschools.us and clicking on the district.

Stockbridge Wellness Center is similar in size to Manchester at roughly 4,500 square feet. SWC was the brainchild of Stockbridge community members who identified exercise space as a critical wellness need for the community.

Stockbridge Area Wellness Coalition budgeted more than $200,000 from their first year of coalition funding to help renovate space, while local volunteers oversaw much of the construction.

Stockbridge Wellness Center is open to members Monday through Thursday from 5:30 am–1 pm and 3:30–8 pm and Fridays from 5:30 am–1 pm. Center members can access Chelsea and Dexter Wellness Centers from 3–8 pm on Fridays and 7 am–5 pm on weekends. Members get access to medically focused fitness programs, personal training, yoga, Pilates and Zumba classes, and more. Learn more about SWC at stockbridgewellness.org