North Swindon MP Visits Generation Gains Project

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has visited the Haydon Centre to learn more the Generation Gains project.

Generation Gains is a community engagement project which is funded by the Zurich Community Trust and run by GLL. Their aim is to support and engage with socially isolated older people within the Swindon community using their chain of leisure centres, sheltered housing locations, care homes and community centres as an engagement point so that they can help to improve the health and well-being of older people through activities that are also fun and sociable.

GLL invited Justin MP to visit the project at the Haydon Centre due to his interest in the power of sport. In this case he was able to see the importance of getting more elderly people active and enjoying the social element of attending local leisure centres. Justin also met some of the apprentices who are running the course.

Rhys Jones of GLL said: “Generation Gains is about improving life skills and a great way of meeting new people, you will also get the chance to take part in new activities such as, 55+ Aerobics, Short Mat Bowls, coffee mornings and much more.”

Justin Tomlinson MP said: “Sport is playing a huge part in keeping people active and helping to prevent social isolation in elderly people. It is great to see that the sessions are affordable and providing a wide choice for people to get involved in. Crucially, there is also a social element involved as many of the sessions finish with a trip down to the local pub as well as a coffee in the leisure centre cafes. It was great to meet with participants as well as the apprentices who are driven to help more and more people get active and avoid becoming isolated.”