Blog from Eddie – Silverfit Founder
Hi all,
It’s been a while since my last blog, and there’s so much to catch up on!
First, a huge thank you to everyone signing up for sessions on TicketTailor, this system has been working really well for over a year now and ensures that we get regular income for sessions. Also, a big thank you to those who have donated via JustGiving. This support ensures we continue running Silverfit sessions and every penny truly counts.
Our JustGiving Page is here: https://justgiving.com/campaign/keepsilverfithealthy)
Filming, Features and Podcasts
In February, BBC Morning Live filmed some of our Kingston sessions for a feature in a segment by Gloria Hunniford ‘Investigating just how crucial maintaining our muscles can be as we grow older.’ You can still catch us and Kingston Rowing Club on iPlayer at 45:28:
I was also a guest on The HUMAN Podcast (click here) where I shared my journey founding Silverfit, completing IRONMAN competitions, and stories about my grandma, Churchill’s cook!
Here is also the link that I keep promising to send out of Joan Bakewell interviewing my grandma, and the near death experience of her and Winson Churchill as he went into her kitchen at No 10 Downing St, to insist she went down to the air raid shelter – a minute before the bomb fell and destroyed the kitchen. She had been too busy cooking the mousseline pudding! You can watch it over on the BBC here
Plus, I’m thrilled to be asked to interview for an upcoming South West London News feature – stay tuned! This was the previous article where I featured here.
Session Visits and Community Events
It’s been wonderful visiting various Silverfit sessions recently and catching up with so many of you over the last few weeks. Your enthusiasm is inspiring! Thanks so much – and few more venues still to come, I can’t wait!
At the Full of Life Fair in September, our Bollywood Dance instructor, Georgia, gave a lively demo, and we hope this brings in even more local participants. Clare and I also had a fantastic day connecting with the community at Kingston’s Age-Friendly Leisure & Activities Fair on October 24th, we made so many great local connections and had an amazing response to Silverfit.
Silverfit T-shirts
During my visits I’ve had requests for some more Silverfit t-shirts so we are looking at a way to set up payment and distribution of these. If you would like to purchase a Silverfit t-shirt (the black with silver logo as pictured above) please email [email protected] with your size and sessions that you attend so we can see what interest there is at which venue
New and Reinstated Sessions
Thanks to City Bridge funding, we’ve reinstated two sessions in Crystal Palace: Nordic Walking on Tuesdays in Crystal Palace Park and Tai Chi on Fridays at Crystal Palace Sports Centre. Thank you, Brenda Hooper, for your help in bringing Tai Chi back to the sports centre!
We’re also thrilled to introduce a new Yoga session at Elephant and Castle with Heather from Embody Wellness, starting 30th October, every Wednesday 10am-11am at Elephant and Castle Community Hub. Free and open to eight participants weekly – please bring your own mat. Sign up here
I recently visited the Hyde Park Nordic Walking session, if you’ve not attended this session before please do come along – it is such a fabulous park, a perfect Silverfit venue with a great café before and after the Nordic walking session.
More sessions are on the horizon, including at Chessington and London Southbank University’s Academy of Sport, where we used to have sessions pre-lockdown. Watch this space!
Gratitude and Closing Thoughts
As always, I am deeply grateful to funders, our incredible staff – Clare, Natalie, Tanya, Bradley, Dana and Nabeel – and to our session instructors and Ambassadors who help welcome everyone, keep sessions running smoothly, and often provide refreshments.
Thank you all for your hard work and dedication in making Silverfit a vibrant, supportive community for healthy ageing.
Best wishes,
Eddie Brocklesby.
