Peter ‘Big Pete’ Collins Testimonial
‘It’s more than just ‘a gym’ - it's a community’
Meet Peter Collins – more lovingly known as ‘Big Pete’. Pete first came to the centre through the GP referral scheme back in September 2019, and he hasn’t left since! Pete is the perfect example of how leisure centres offering a multitude of activities provides people with the opportunity to try something new and create long term friendships and connections that continue to flourish outside of this building. We asked Pete what has kept him coming back to us even after completing his time on the referral scheme...
‘It was doing me good health wise, doing me good wellbeing wise, and the people here are lovely. The staff, the customers, it's like a little community. It’s marvellous. I spend as much time here as I do at my own house!’
You certainly don’t go more than a couple of days without seeing Pete somewhere in this building! From the toning suite to the gym, from walking football to bowls, he takes full advantage of the activities on offer. He also isn’t afraid to try something new...
‘Recently I’ve started going to the senior social sessions on Thursday morning and that is absolutely brilliant! I’ve fallen in love with pickleball – it's marvellous! You don’t realise the exercise you do when you’re playing...I’m absolutely drenched!
We asked Pete about the friendships and connections he has made over the years, and he told us ‘Most of it has come through the GP referral scheme. I started the walking football with Emma, and it was mostly GP referral people to start off with but then it got more popular, and we had more people coming in and now we have started a walking football society with a small kitty and we go out for meals together. We do a similar thing with bowls – the first Friday of every month, anyone who plays bowls and wants to come along, we go out for a meal.’
Pete finished by saying the very thing we try to create for our customers...’It’s more than just a gym – it's a community’. We are so delighted Pete and so many others have a place that they can come to socialise whilst staying active. If you are reading this and want to get the same positive experience out of the centre as Pete has, our recommendation is get stuck in! Try our activities, make new friends and have lots of laughs whilst looking after both your physical and mental wellbeing.