Say hello to Halo
When you say hello to Halo, you are saying hello to an organisation driven by its mission to ‘create healthier communities’ in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Bridgend and Wiltshire.
It’s this focus on communities, together with our passion to help people who find exercise a challenge due to maybe an illness, mobility difficulty, mental health issues and to hijack UKActive’s strapline to get ‘more people more active more often’ – that makes us stand out from the other health and fitness operators working in our areas.
At the heart of everything we do our status as a registered charity and social enterprise. Being a leisure trust that operates for the social good is part of our DNA and something we are immensely proud of.
HaloHelps
#HaloHelps campaign was launched late 2019 to highlight all the ways in which we do exactly that – help people to discover or rediscover an exercise they enjoy. We highlighted real life customers whose stories resonate with similar people across all the regions we operate:
- Tony – who used to be very physically active in his youth but his own fitness took a back seat when the kids came along, now in his 50’s he is using Halo to invest in his own health and wellbeing
- Judy – who uses swimming and group exercise classes to help her manage the physical and mental aspects of living with MS and sight loss
- Ellen – who used the spare time she had during lockdown to introduce low intensity and gentle home workouts into her daily route (thanks to Halo@HOME)
- Jon – who turned to Halo’s adult learn to swim programme to help him overcome his lifelong fear of water. He is now regularly swimming with his grandchildren
- Leanne – who has encouraged her daughter to swop some screen time for mother and daughter time at the gym working out together
- Bev – who after major knee surgery is using Halo as an important part of her recovery plan
- Teresa – who combined regular workouts with sensible eating to massively reduce her weight and keep it off!
- Ray – who is keeping active during his retirement
- Clare – who after sustaining a serious workplace injury to her leg in the line of duty as a police officer – become a regular at her Halo centre to help get her back on her feet again
Catch up on Tony, Judy and the others on the Halo Blog
Dementia Friendly Programmes
Our Active Communities Team who work across our centres in Bridgend County South Wales – deserve their own shout out for the work they do to support people with dementia and autism and their families to get more active.
What started off as The Dementia Friendly Swimming Programme took on a life of its own and developed into the wider The Feel Good for Life project which offers leisure opportunities for people living with dementia, feeling lonely or low to be active and to socialise. Swimming, activities in the sports hall, scrapbooking, memorabilia collecting, visits from guest speakers, baking, coffee and cake – are all enjoyed just as much by the carers as the person with dementia.
Hear how the programme has enriched the lives of everyone involved HERE
Autism Friendly Programmes
Our Autism Friendly Swimming Lesson programme is aimed at children on the autism spectrum. Accidental drowning is the leading cause of death in children with an ASD under the age of 14. Therefore, it is even more important that children on the autism spectrum learn to swim. However, for children with autism, it can be a stressful experience. Adjusting to the new environment, with its different sights, sounds, smells and feelings, can be overwhelming.
Fifteen children participated in Halo’s Autism Friendly Swimming Lessons’ pilot programme made possible with the support from the Welsh Government ICF Community Well-Being grant scheme, BAVO and Bridgend County Borough Council.
As one delighted parent commented,
I think what Halo has provided is really amazing. I am really grateful for it. It’s been beneficial for my son, really positive, it’s worth its weight in gold.
Ynysawdre Pool is now an Autism-Swim approved centre and if you would like to find out more about accessing sessions please email autism-swim@haloleisure.org.uk.
See for yourself just how wonderful this programme is for the young people, parents and staff.
For both these groups we did all we could to make our facilities comfortable and welcoming – from staff training, new simplified signage, creating the right sensory environment with no loud music or lifeguard whistles, no hand dryers, creating quiet breakout spaces.
For more information on Halo – visit www.haloleisure.org.uk
