Leisure and Culture Trust Provides Extensive Support to East Lindsey Communities

From supporting teams at COVID vaccination centres to distributing digital tablets, making wellbeing calls, providing bags of happiness and leading virtual exercise sessions – the teams at a leading Lincolnshire leisure and community trust have been as busy as ever during lockdown.

Based across East Lindsey in Lincolnshire, the Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure & Culture manages the premier fitness suites, leisure centres and pools in Louth, Horncastle, Skegness and Mablethorpe. With an active community arm, it also heads up a large variety of funded sessions, and activities. In addition, it runs Embassy Theatre, the popular Café Magna, and the high-wire adventure attraction Altitude44 in Skegness.

When lockdown last March forced the closure of its venues, the MV teams did not sit still. They re-grouped to join forces with their partners, which includes East Lindsey District Council, to offer a raft of new virtual services. In addition, when a call came to help at testing and vaccination centres across the district, they were perfectly placed to step up.

Now, as lockdown eases, the trust is continuing its work and has also won funding from the national initiative Kickstart to offer six-month paid work experience places to 15 young people – part of a UK drive to offer employment opportunities post-Covid.

“I have to say the response from everyone here at Magna Vitae has been absolutely magnificent,” commented Executive Director, Aeneas Richardson.

“A year ago, life was uncertain for us all. As communities we have never experienced anything like this before. However, after taking stock, we pulled together and pro-actively looked at how we could continue to support people through such difficult and challenging times. We were innovative and forward-thinking and have learned lessons that we can take forward into our future operation. Out of an uncertain situation, we created opportunities,” he added.

Working with partners to identify individuals who would benefit, including Wellbeing Lincs, DWP Jobcentre+, Carers First, Lincolnshire CVS Social Prescribing Link Workers, Hope House in Mablethorpe, St Barnabas Admiral Nurses, LPFT Steps to Change and community hubs, Magna Vitae has:

• Made 2,978 wellbeing calls.
• Responded to 91 calls for support.
• Worked with East Lindsey District Council to set up the online community support platform https://magnavitae.org/inthistogether/ which provided an up-to-date list of where individuals and organisations could access support and information when the pandemic first hit. This was alongside the production of the COVID-19 Help and Support leaflet for East Lindsey residents without digital access.
• Provided 50 remote / isolated people with digital tablets and ongoing IT support, with funding from the National Lottery Coronavirus Community Support Fund.
• Provided 624 ‘bags of happiness’, wellbeing, craft and activity packs.
• Had 492 engagements through online quizzes and activities.
• Provided weekly online exercise sessions aimed at providing inclusive activity for those less physically able.
• Provided ‘story-time’ sessions for youngsters.
• Helped at vaccination centres in Boston, Mablethorpe and Skegness.
• Visited more than 500 businesses and public places to advise on COVID-safe practice, working with East Lindsey District and Boston Borough councils.
• Switched a session called ‘Fitness, Food and Friends’ online – linking with a community centre’s virtual hub for the weekly virtual sessions.
• Supplied, coordinated and managed a community team of COVID Advisors, employed to advise the general public and local businesses in relation to COVID security.

“When we look back now at what we have achieved it has been staggering and we are all delighted to have helped and supported our community in this way. Of course, though, we cannot wait to welcome people back into our leisure centres, to our theatre and to our adventure high-wire – and of course seeing our custom enjoying a cup of coffee, a slice of pizza and socially interacting in Café Magna,” said Aeneas.

For more on Magna Vitae, please go to www.magnavitae.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.