A mother of two, who herself has cerebral palsy, runs a non-profit organisation that helps people with disabilities get fit at home with a range of online exercise classes. Tailored Leisure Company managed to secure funding for the new series of online fitness classes recently. Disabled people across the UK will be able to access classes from yoga, strength building or boxercise type sessions.
Inspired at Home
Tara Johnson from Whitburn runs the non-profit and said the idea behind it is to offer those with disabilities a stress-free entertaining way to stay healthy and get fitter while suited. Exercises like the ones on offer also help to boost mental health and alleviate isolation which has been hard for many disabled people recently.
Being inspired by her own condition, Tara used her knowledge of working in the health and social care sector to set up TLC and this branch of fitness classes are known as Sit to be Fit classes. Being online has enabled Tara to reach a massive number of people who continue to benefit from the initiative and Sit to be Fit has seen referrals from GP’s.
Funding to Make it Happen
The National Lottery Community Fund and the local Hadrian Trust are to thank for the funding that they have received in order to go ahead with the initiative this January. These funds will help towards launching taster sessions for instructors to lead classes such as ‘relaxing Iyengar yoga’ which focuses on alignment and precision, a large focus is also socialisation and building confidence through meeting new people.
Aimed at those who are ages 16 and over, who have a physical disability or condition such as deafness, blindness or mobility issues that may result in the individual having to use a wheelchair, the classes hope to bring this group of people to reach their goals.
Fun for All
The scheme doesn’t forget those aged under 16 as the Comic Relief Community fund has released money to enable 12–16-year-old with disabilities to join in on an eight-week timetable of online boxercise starting at the end of January.
Tara is ecstatic that the scheme can go ahead and said:
“Fitness and lack of access to gyms for disabled people and in particular due to the unprecedented Covid-19 situation leaves people both mentally and physically isolated and is the key reason I set up the Sit to be Fit programme through TLC. I’m delighted to have secured additional funding to take this project into 2021 – it has come at an optimum time and I am looking forward to supporting more people over the next few months.”
To make a donation to the fund-raiser see here and to sign up to the Zoom fitness courses see here.
