Making fitness fun, accessible, and rewarding is very much the mantra of Newcastle-under-Lyme's Jane Coburn whose approach to supporting the wellbeing of older people residing at Belong care village has been shortlisted for a top award.  

The in-house exercise specialist at the Lower Street facility's gym has been nominated for the Physical Activity accolade at the National Activity Providers Association (NAPA) Awards, which celebrate excellence in activity provision. It singles out outstanding individuals for their dedication, creativity and impact in their role enhancing the lives of others.  

Jane employs her qualifications, experience and expertise to support older people, some of whom are living with dementia, with the goal of assisting them to retain their independence through exercise. In one remarkable case, she was instrumental in helping a gentleman regain the use of his leg and hand after he lost the movement in one side of his body owing to a stroke.    

Jane helped one gentleman regain the use of his lef and hand after he lost the movement due to a stroke (Belong Villages).

Other achievements include celebrating the London Marathon by organising a village-wide version, inspiring her customers and colleagues to smash the 26.2 miles goal, with team Belong walking, running, and wheeling to an impressive 60-mile final tally. Jane also contributes to the popular Belong Active YouTube channel with short videos designed for older people to follow, with tutorials on how to exercise from the comfort of their own home. 

Belong incorporates fitness into its wellbeing provision for all its customers, offering the option of one-to-one guidance in the village's specialist gym, and many choose to complement their regimes by joining chair-based group sessions featuring light activities with a focus on falls prevention. Jane also assists in customers' rehabilitation, helping to speed up recovery times following events such as a fall or a stroke.  

Speaking of her recognition, Jane Coburn said: "It means the world to me to be nominated for this award. The beauty of my role is that I get to work with amazing people every day and whilst it can be emotional, it's worth it when seeing what customers can achieve. Our independence really is invaluable – my advice to everyone, of all ages, is keep moving!"  

More information about Belong can be found at www.belong.org.uk or by emailing [email protected].

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