Laura is the backbone of Aberdeen Blueberry Wellness and could be your new educator! In this post, we explore more about her background and journey in the industry.
Laura’s attended her first training course – Exercise to Music – in 1996. She initially intended to teach one class a week which would fit around her childcare duties during the day, but this rapidly evolved to teaching 20 classes per week!
A few years into teaching, Laura was invited to attend a Cardiac Rehabilitation training course, sparking an interest in health management. This pivotal training focused on supporting and empowering people with health conditions, through exercise. In 2005, the ARI diabetes clinic invited Laura to lend her expertise – she established a region-wide referral programme, where local GP practices could refer people with diabetes to information classes around exercise and lifestyle.
Following this, Laura delivered more valuable community-based classes and programmes such as Strength and Balance, and Pilates to eliminate lower back pain. Her hard work didn’t go unnoticed; she won the Trend Life with Style Fitness Award in 2015 and was awarded prestigious CIMSPA Chartered Activity and Health Practitioner status in 2020. This status recognises fitness and exercise professionals who deliver excellent outcomes for their clients and showcase a positive impact on the sector through their leadership and mentorship.
Aberdeen Blueberry Wellness (ABW) was launched in 2022 with a board of directors who supported planning, development and delivery of the social enterprise. ABW’s mission is to deliver accessible fitness to the regeneration areas of Aberdeen. Laura says, “I know that exercise is so beneficial to people in many ways. For people who can afford to pay, it’s used to keep fit, stay active, socialise, prevent loneliness, and improve mental health. For those who are not fortunate enough to pay, there’s no provision of self-management.”
Not only that, but ABW’s fitness training courses are delivered locally, which in turn empowers trainees to become employed locally and make a difference to the health of their own community.
ABW now has a clear board that shares the same vision, and there are several organisations who already back the mission. Laura says, “It’s early days and we have a lot of work to do but our reputation is building, and things are looking bright for the future.”
Do you want to get involved and grow with us? Please feel free to contact us by emailing [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.