Maltby Leisure Centre member interviewed by BBC Radio Sheffield

After feeling unfit and wanting to improve his physical health, Paul Nunns, was recommended to get active by his GP.

He then made the decision to join Maltby Leisure Centre in May, where he’s since lost 5 stone, remained sober, and more recently won Member of the Month for his hard work in the gym! “I’m here everyday, and I feel great.” Paul said.

The goals that he set at the beginning of his journey have been achieved, now Paul has got new ones and he won’t stop until he gets there!

He’s shown an incredible amount of discipline since joining. Choosing to go sober, like Paul has done, has contributed well to boosting in his discipline in areas such as exercise and diet.

Paul describes his routine as his “new addiction” and being recognised for Member of the Month has kept him motivated.

Laura Edgar, one of our Placemakers at Maltby Leisure Centre, said: “I signed Paul up for his membership in May and he’s been coming every day. He’s put a lot of effort in and he’s looking a lot better, he’s lost a lot of weight…we want other members to work as hard as Paul does so that they can achieve the goals that they want.”

Paul’s story is a testament to how anyone can achieve a huge shift in their physical and mental health if they decide to, and the key to this kind of success lies in how our places make people feel comfortable, empowered, and included.

“One of the key things for us is showing what effect we can have within our communities, so a big part of that is championing members who do really well and do really good things.” Ben Senior, General Manager at Maltby Leisure Centre, said.

“The team and our members are the salt of the earth, the people that we hire along with the people that attend the gym are all really good people.” he added.

Many of our centres such as Maltby Leisure Centre tend to champion a member every month. Whether a member has done something such as hitting a PB or improving their mindset when it comes to keeping active, having a welcoming, encouraging atmosphere in these setting helps! Our centres aren’t just places to work out at, they’re hubs for communities.