Dembele drops in Cherries Kickstart session

AFC Bournemouth winger, Siriki Dembele, dropped in on a recent Cherries Kickstart session and gave participants the motivation to continue on their fitness journey.

Mother’s DayMother Earth

In this month when we recognise all mothers, what better time to talk about ‘Mother Earth’ which is clearly urging us all to act. Nature is suffering. Oceans filling with plastic and turning more acidic. Extreme heat, wildfires, and floods have affected millions of people.

The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. Restoring our damaged ecosystems will help to end poverty, combat climate change, and prevent mass extinction. But we will only succeed if everyone plays a part.

Carbon offset is one way of balancing the emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases and is becoming increasingly embraced by businesses. Carbon offset schemes allow individuals and companies to invest in environmental projects around the world to balance out their own carbon footprints.

Dorset Chamber recognises the impact businesses can have and are working in partnership with Dorset Council and BCP Council, to create an online free event to introduce carbon offset as part of our ESG programme for Dorset businesses. During the event, we will talk through the concept of carbon reduction and provide information on practical steps businesses can take in reducing their impact on the environment through carbon offset. We will also offer the opportunity for a Q and A discussion, and signposting to further support available.

So, in this special month for Mothers, let’s think about ‘Mother Earth’ and remind ourselves more than ever that we need to make a shift that works for both people and the planet.

An Introduction to Carbon Offset online event takes place on 9 March and is open to all Dorset businesses - Booking is essential.

Just under 40 individuals attended the session at Vitality Stadium in what was week three of the Kickstart programme. Sponsored by Vitality and supported by iPro, Cherries Kickstart is a wellbeing scheme for those of all abilities to get fit at the start of 2023.

The five-week programme aimed to help all participants complete a 5k parkrun on Saturday 11 February around Kings Park, as well as giving individuals the opportunity to meet others in the local community.

Week three’s theme centred around musculoskeletal health and staying injury-free, with Dembele on hand to partake in a question-and-answer session to offer his advice.

Holly Humphreys, Amber Treweek and Kaitlyn Elliott from the club’s women’s team were also in attendance and even joined in with the session. Official wellness partners, Vitality, popped in too and enjoyed meeting the dedicated participants.

Adam Varney, senior sponsorship executive at Vitality, caught up with afcbTV about his experiences on the night.

“The experience has been really good, we’ve had amazing support from AFC Bournemouth and it’s cool to see people coming together as part of something special.

“It’s quite a cold day in Bournemouth, but it’s great seeing everyone out here enjoying themselves. It’s a long-standing partnership with the club and it’s all about sharing the benefits of healthy living, so anything we can do to better the community is what we’re really passionate about.” www.afcb.co.uk