November 2018
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine
No 302 £3
Bluestone pioneers new mental health approach
By Oliver Dyson
Carnival atmosphere promised for awards IT WILL BE all the fun of the carnival at this year’s National Fitness Awards. Making a triumphant return to Leicester’s Athena venue at the end of this month, this year’s awards will have the theme of Rio. It should inject some colour into the celebration, which sees fitness professionals from across the country come together to celebrate the best the industry has to offer. Tickets are currently on sale for the event and include welcoming drinks, a three course meal, Riothemed entertainment on the night and the glitzy awards ceremony itself. The evening ends with a party and a midnight breakfast for anyone who works up an appetite on the dance floor. Script Events runs the NFAs in partnership with Workout. National events co-ordinator Simone Saunders had the chance to take a look at the Athena ahead of the big evening. She said: “The Athena is actually
an old picture house, so it is quite a grand place anyway. But for the awards ceremony itself it is decked out in all the finery you would expect, and it should be particularly fun this year as they bring Rio de Janerio’s carnival spirit to Leicester.” The event is black tie and encourages attendees to turn up looking their most glam, as they potentially could be taking to the stage to collect a national award. This year’s event is hosted by the UK’s number one celebrity fitness couple, Jenny Pacey and Wayne Gordon. Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis, with no limit for numbers. Group table bookings of ten can also be made. The National Fitness Awards take place on November 30 starting at 6.30pm with the welcome drinks. For more information and to book tickets, visit www. nationalfitnessawards.co.uk or call Simone on 01226 734630.
A PIONEERING approach to mental health is being taken by a Midlands gym. Bluestone Fitness, based in Ashby de la Zouch, has set up the Bluestone Counselling Trust to place mental health as high a priority as physical. The trust subsidises the cost of a 50 minute counselling session with a registered counsellor on site, making it the same price – £25 – as a session with a personal trainer, physiotherapist or sports masseuse. Bluestone owner Daniel Ball believes they are the first health club in the country to provide such access in house. Daniel said: “It is about levelling the playing field in terms of the service the club can provide. “We want people to have a healthy mind and a healthy body. It is a holistic approach and the trust is all about making sure people have that access and can afford it. “It isn’t the NHS’s fault, but there is a long waiting list and a maximum number of sessions allowed for people who access these services that way. “This will allow gym members to take that step easier and for however long they feel they need.” The service will be provided by two established, registered counsellors, Chris Lewis and Andrea Headington, who have their own practices in Ashby. They have worked with Daniel to develop a constitution, policies, procedures and working protocols over the past seven months, ready for
Bluestone Fitness, based in Ashby de la Zouch. the service to launch on November 19. “We have had a discreet room created especially for this purpose which people should feel comfortable using. There are wellness centres out there but as far as I know, we are the first gym to do something like this. We are a fully operational gym but we are just treating mental health with a similar level of importance. “From personal experience, not just myself but with people I know, I know the results of how talking can help just as much as exercise.” The trust has been created thanks to fund raising in the local community. This isn’t the only exciting development on the horizon for Bluestone. In January, the gym is set to open its Black Edition, a new functional fitness area with 25-30 stations running predominantly classes but open gym sessions too. Daniel added: “It is going to be a really fun way of training. It is a different vibe to what we offer in the main gym, which is light and airy – this is harder work, a different environment.”