Sport Project Spaces - Arlington Gym Marks A Project That Has Motivated and Empowered Camden Residents Through Physical Activity and Sport

The Arlington Gym was built in early 2018, due to a desire from clients at Arlington to get fit and take ownership of their own physical and mental health.

It is one of three gyms we currently have among Single Homeless Project hostels. Several of the clients were involved in the construction of the Arlington gym, as one of the communal rooms was converted into a small but equipped safe space for the residents. The gym itself contains a Rowing machine, two spin bikes, a weights bench, multiple free-weights and barbells, as well as kettle bells, resistance bands and exercise balls. This equipment is used for a variety of reasons including assisting with Physio recommended exercise, muscle building and fitness. 

The sessions were initially run by Eloise Moller (Department lead for Sport & Health), who would open up the space weekly for clients to come and receive exercise guidance, training and supervised use of the equipment following an induction. Currently, we are providing two open gym sessions a week for the residents, run by Jordan Bedford (Sport Coordinator) with the help of volunteers.  

The purpose of creating this space was also to facilitate opportunities for residents to combat isolation through socialisation in sessions, as well as motivate their peers through exercise, both of which strengthen confidence and boost self-esteem. This is something we have noticed in abundance with one of the long-term attendees Michael explained “I have made some really good friends in these classes”. 

Michael’s Story: 

Michael’s participation in sessions usually consists of some seated chair exercise with free-weights and resistance bands. He suffers from Dementia, but despite this he has built the gym into his weekly routine and very rarely misses a session. Michael’s consistent attendance and undeniable progress during the gym sessions highlights the great positive impact physical activity has on someone experiencing homelessness. 

He says “These classes get me out of my room and they keep me fit”.  

Michael has built a strong friendship with William, one of the other residents, as they have been attending sessions together since 2020. It has been a privilege to witness them encourage each other during the sessions and strike a friendship that has made them feel more connected and part of a community in the hostel.  

Client Engagement

Involvement with the gym has also helped motivate clients to engage in other activities on offer at the Sport Project. For example many of the clients that attend the gym sessions have gone on to participate in our Annual Sports Day. The attendees of our Wimbledon event last summer, we’re also predominantly clients who have attended the Gym sessions. 

Also, the welcoming gym environment creates a safe space for clients to further engage with their physical health and help increase engagement with other important Services such as the NHS, which has uncovered unmet health needs within several attendees. An example of this stemmed from an open conversation between Michael and the Session Leader about his health, which lead to the session leader referring Michael to Samara (Health Team Lead), who took Michael in for a vital health appointment. 

Volunteers

There are a number of other key figures that have helped develop the gym sessions into what they are today, one of them being Karchun (volunteer). Karchun is a qualified gym instructor, who has given an hour of his week for the last 3 years to help run the sessions. He has built up important relationships with the clients and explains that “The residents are in a better mood when they come” and that “they enjoy each other's company, we have a lot of fun”. 

Williams Story: 

William (pictured with the Boxing gloves), has also shown great commitment to the Gym sessions, attending twice a week. Initially, William attended the sessions with a lot of social anxiety and shyness, however this is noticeably different now as William loves to chat and laugh during the sessions to his peers and with the session leader. His enthusiasm for exercise continues to grow. He loves to get stuck into everything that is on offer, whether that be zooming on the spin bike, getting his heart rate going on the rowing machine, bench-press or boxercise. After a full session William said “It’s good to keep fit, it gives me confidence”. 

Blog by Sam Sainsbury | Sport Project Manager

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