PEOPLE in Oxford are being invited to get fit and help lonely older people at the same time by signing up to the GoodGym scheme.

GoodGym runners have completed over 120,000 good deeds to help older people and community organisations throughout the UK and there are currently 47 schemes nationwide.

Now the latest scheme is being created in the city and will be launched at East Oxford Community Centre in Princes Street on Wednesday, February 20 at 6pm.

GoodGym members stop off on their runs to help isolated pensioners with tasks they can’t do on their own.

Oxford Mail:

Oxford city councillor Pat Kennedy, who represents the Lye Valley ward, said: “As Older Peoples’ Champion I very much welcome this innovative approach to fitness and community work.

“I am sure that local communities and individuals will benefit from their involvement.

“I understand that several students have signed up already and I am sure that local people will come forward with suggestions for help with their community projects.”

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The launch of GoodGym Oxford has been made possible through the support of the city council’s Home Improvement Agency, which supports older, disabled and vulnerable residents, and Oxfordshire County Council.

In addition to the weekly group run, GoodGym runners will also be paired with an isolated older person and commit to a weekly social visit and helping with one-off household tasks.

Oxford-based running coach Anwen Greenaway will be leading the project in the city.

She said: “I want to give my running group both a great boost to their own fitness and a sense of really contributing to their community. I’m excited about linking up with all the great community initiatives and charities around Oxford and making a positive difference in the city.”

Oxford Mail:

GoodGym welcomes runners of all ability and is open to everyone in Oxford.

The organisation also has walking groups for people who want to volunteer to complete tasks but don’t want to join the runners.

GoodGym is free to participate in and many runners donate to support it.

By helping people to complete basic tasks, such as clearing a garden, or moving furniture, GoodGym runners can help make the difference between someone staying at home and having to go into a care home.

The organisation was founded in 2009 in Tower Hamlets in London when one of its founders discovered that combining a weekly run with a visit to a housebound older neighbour was the motivation he needed to get him into regular exercise.

GoodGym’s website said: “ There are many neglected tasks and people in our communities that need that energy. We want to bring these things together.

“Something we’ve been working on a lot is loneliness and isolation amongst older people: over one million people aged 65 and over admit to always or often feeling lonely, and 17 per cent of those living alone see family and friends less than once a week.”

For more visit goodgym.org