YMCAfit - Community

Inclusive Fitness

The Inclusive Fitness Initiative is a Sport England, Lottery funded programme which aims to drive up the number of disabled people attending fitness centres, health clubs and gyms. YMCAfit won the tender to deliver staff training as part of the initiative. YMCAfit have trained to date over 1,200 instructors and qualified over 450 men and women at Level 3, CYQ Advanced Instructor Adapted Physical Activity for Disabled People

Funded training for under-represented groups

YMCAfit has been awarded LDA (London Development Agency) and ESF (European Social Fund) funding to train Black and Minority Ethnic women living in London for employment within the health and fitness sector. To date, 160 BME women have successfully completed their training to become qualified fitness instructors.

Apprenticeships

YMCAfit is a firm supporter of the Government’s health and fitness apprenticeship training agenda. In Spring 2005 YMCAfit launched a work-based training scheme for 16-24 year-olds, allowing them to gain an NVQ fitness qualification whilst working.

Physical activity for the inactive

Working in partnership with YMCA England, YMCAfit recently delivered training to health and community workers in 54 YMCAs, and to 60 other organisations, across the UK, with the aim of increasing levels of activity in hard-to-reach or disadvantaged groups.

Mental Wellbeing through fitness

YMCAfit recently developed a new instructor training programme, Physical Activity in a Mental Health Setting. It is targeted at mental health workers, enabling them to train up to improve the fitness and wellbeing of users of clinical services.