HEALTH and fitness group Tailored Leisure Company is starting the new year with confidence after impressive growth in 2021.

TLC has worked with partners such as the Foundation of Light, Sunderland City Council and Headway Wearside to make sure people with disabilities are not excluded from health and leisure activities due to their physical needs.

Based in South Tyneside, but working across the North East, TLC is a client led Social Enterprise launched by Director Tara Johnson, due to her own experiences of living with cerebral palsy.

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She said: “Partnership has been a key element of our growth over the last year, the amount of new project partnerships in 2021 have been truly phenomenal and have proven there is a strong demand and gap in the market for our services.

“This time last year was a very uncertain time for the company, but our determination and commitment to the accessible fitness formula has paid off substantially. 2021 was just the tip of the iceberg and we have so many exciting projects and developments in the pipeline, we really can’t wait to see the social impact created.”

The team is committed to developing accessible opportunities to get fit, have fun and relax with as little stress as possible and are passionate about overcoming the barriers and social exclusion faced by disabled people. Led by regional research they attracted the attention of numerous national funders over the year to run a host of accessible fitness projects, many held virtually.

TLC also announced funding success and a new delivery partnership with the Foundation of Light, the official charity of Sunderland AFC having successfully grown the Sit to be Fit concept into an even larger scale community engagement project, supporting participants to access the tailored fitness support through the GOGA Sit to Be Fit in the Community project.

Funding success with Sunderland City Council followed as a result of a call out for innovative projects to support the city to reduce health inequalities and to support residents to improve their health and wellbeing.

The funding secured has seen the THEE Club (Tailored Leisure and Headway Wearside, Education and Exercise) launch which runs in partnership with Headway Wearside, and uses a variety of methods to engage residents and organisations, with a focus on improving health and wellbeing.

The community and virtual fitness programmes run alongside a continued funding drive to raise £1.5 million for the development of an innovative short break holiday and leisure complex, the ‘Butterfly of the North’.

Tara added: “Following the success of Sit to Be Fit at home which we launched via zoom during lockdown, we are delighted to have further rolled this programme out into the community thanks to the funding secured.

“We have also expanded our team further through the kickstart scheme, plus we have several opportunities for volunteers to join the team as we roll out and grow the projects.

“As we move on an upward trajectory, we’d also be delighted to speak with local businesses who can support us on our journey and with the aim of developing the vital Butterfly of the North complex.

“Businesses can back the campaign and take advantage of our corporate sponsorship packages to help the complex take flight in 2022.

“It will support so many and unlock barriers to short breaks and leisure services that families across the North East face on a daily basis, and which is needed even more than ever post-Covid.”

 

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