IMPACT

All Strong directly supported 512 people in the last year to improve their mental health and wellbeing and provided 1,197 group programmes

• Care Experienced Young People

“A group of 8 care experienced young people from Perth High School aged 12-16yrs were given the opportunity to attend 6 sessions at All Strong Gym, which provided a positive and engaging environment focused on health, wellbeing, and personal development.

Participation in the programme had a clear and meaningful impact on the group.

Through dialogue and reflection on the experience the young people reported that they experienced an increase in overall wellbeing and confidence, supported by the regular physical activity in the gym, creative expression in the art room, and inclusive group activities. They developed a range of personal and social skills, including communication, teamwork, motivation, and self-belief. The sessions encouraged them to try new experiences in a supportive setting, helping them step outside their comfort zones.

The group particularly enjoyed the painting sessions and the light-based games, which offered creative and interactive ways to engage both physically and mentally.

These activities supported emotional expression, focus, and positive engagement, and were consistently highlighted by participants as their favourite parts of the programme.

Through their involvement, the young people learned more about health and wellbeing, including the importance of physical activity, looking after mental health, and building healthy routines. This knowledge helped increase their awareness of how lifestyle choices can positively impact how they feel day-to-day.

Overall, the All Strong Gym sessions provided a safe, inclusive, and empowering experience that supported improved wellbeing, confidence, and life skills, while fostering a positive attitude toward health and ongoing participation.”

Simone Lange

Youth Support – Services for Young People

• Perth College UHI Groups

“We have had almost 100 percent participation from the Moving On group Sep to Dec (only missing when absent from college) all are taking part in some activity if not

all. This is fantastic as for many of the Moving On group the very thought of entering a gym would have induced a panic attack or refusal to attend. I think for the Tuesday afternoon group the fact that they are a predominantly a very self-conscious female group (3 males 9 females) that having Mel as their first PT made it easier for them and feel comfortable enough to lie down on mats to stretch. 4 of the students have become quite into their keep fit and gym work due to the positive exposure to All Strong and even those that are not so keen they are enjoying the experience, laughing at themselves and chatting with staff (a major improvement).

Within Skill Up it is a similar situation (with a higher female number than male – 12 female 4 males) – we have 3 females who have now joined other gyms in town and are increasing their physical activity exercise following the exposure at All Strong (very little prior to this experience). It is the private and welcoming atmosphere/environment that has made this possible. The 3 males on the course had next to no gym exposure prior to the start of the semester and all 4 have taken part every week and reported back that they are enjoying the experience.”

Caroline Cowe

Lecturer / Personal Academic Tutor

UHI Perth

• PKC Navigate – Young People with a range of significant challenges

“Navigate has been lucky to have access to the All Strong for a couple of months now. Initially I was supporting two teenage boys to attend, but due to the success of these sessions the group has now grown to 3. The boys look forward to these sessions and are always excited to attend. I know this from the speed they walk at on the way – I can barely keep up! They have settled into a nice routine where they focus on the same activities each week. After a few minutes cardio on a variety of machines, they mainly do bicep curls, bench press and lat pull downs. Each of them has noticed the physical improvements that regular attendance has produced. The weights they use have gradually increased. More importantly, I have seen them grow in confidence, they feel happy in the space and respectfully share it with the PAS group who are in at the same time.

The original two were quite excited to begin with and wanted to try all the exercises on offer so it’s nice to see them settle down and take their training seriously. They are now calm and focussed, gaining pride from their achievements each week. They all try hard to work safely, near their limit, which means they are tired after their sessions, but this is a small price to pay for all the obvious positives. Personally, I don’t think they would have achieved the same benefits in a mainstream or public gym. The culture of acceptance at All Strong is the main reason these young men have made healthy exercise an enjoyable and regular part of their week.”

Tony McClelland (Support Worker)

via

Elaine Donaldson | Senior Social Care Officer | Navigate |

• PKC Day Opportunities – Adults with Learning Disabilities

I have been supporting a group of individuals, with learning disabilities to access the All Strong facilities 3 times a week. We have a relaxed and therapeutic art session where individuals are encouraged to be creative and imaginative. This session really benefits our service users, who will not engage in arts and crafts projects at our usual venue. However, when sat in front of an easel in the well resourced and stocked art room at All Strong, they become engrossed in their work. One individual particularly enjoys creating images for his friends. He will think about what they like and then create a canvas especially for them. This individual has difficulty sharing resources and struggles to considering the needs of others so having this opportunity where he can show a different side of his personality is wonderful.

Our gym sessions are instructor lead, varied and fun so everyone engages well. The pace, exercises and equipment are adapted to meet the needs of each individual. Some of the feedback from our individuals, in their own words “Awesome”, “Fantastic”, “I love it. Doing the weights makes me happy.”, “I’m excited to go to the gym.”, “I feel powerful and strong.” The staff are “nice”, “helpful”, “polite” “Mike is a good guy, a good friend, he’s my mate.”

Our service users and staff love the facility and the fact that it is totally inclusive where everyone is treated with respect. Targets and goals are realistic, and achievement is celebrated. Since commencing these sessions, staff have noticed a visible improvement in our service users’ self-confidence, their communication skills, ability to share and take turns. They are also benefitting from becoming fitter and healthier versions of themselves.”

Lea Cowan Community Facilitator

Kinnoull Community Day Opportunities