Participants enjoy numerous activities during social games evening

Participants came together at the LGBTQ+ closed session earlier this year, in an organised social games evening.

An ice-breaker activity kicked off the two hour event, with participants tasked with finding out more information about fellow attendees, to successfully complete their worksheet of interesting facts about each other. A range of games from Scrabble, to UNO & even a few games of Jenga, followed, with friendly competition in smaller groups, for the rest of the evening, allowing participants to socialise with each other and bring new and current attendees together. 

The attendance at the session has grown over the past couple of years, since the gym and social sessions first started back in January 2022, after there was a need for the LGBTQ+ community to have a safe space to meet and open up with others about the important topics they faced.

Working in partnership with the People Focused Group, the pilot project was created and introduced at the Eco-Power Stadium, specifically designed for members of the LGBTQ+ community to socialise and exercise in a closed, peer-led, safe and inclusive environment. 

The group has seen over 65 participants attend the closed sessions at the Foundation Fitness gym between August 2022 to July 2023, with this number continuing to rise throughout the course of the rest of 2023. 

One participant who has been attending the sessions since the start, spoke of what the group has done for their confidence: “It’s one of my favourite days of the week. I get to socialise with people who are similar to me. I attend these sessions because I live on my own and I don’t tell people about my past. It’s something I’ve always hid.

“As soon as this group came up, I decided to come along to try it. You can turn up and there’s a good mix of people attending.

“For the inclusion of LGBTQ+, there’s not a lot out there. This gym and this group is different, it’s a closed session. You walk through the door and everyone says hello. There’s smiles and smiles to me are important. 

“It’s a special group. It gives me a reason to go out. Every time I come, I feel safe.

“It’s improved my confidence so much.”

The Foundation have also supported Doncaster Pride over the past couple of years, interacting with 88 people at the event, this year alone. 

One participant who attended Doncaster Pride this year and is a regular at the Gym and Social session at the Foundation, said: “I thought it was really good to see the Foundation at Doncaster Pride this year. It’s promoting the session and we’ve seen new members coming along to the session now. The group is getting bigger.”

They went on to discuss what the sessions mean to them: “We get a lot of support from staff and peers here. We’re able to talk about everyday life for ourselves, without worrying what about other people think. 

“We’re all friends now and we get to see everyone each week. To be a part of the community, it feels nice.

“I heard the sessions were inclusive of LGBTQ+ and that was reassuring that I was going to be accepted for who I am.

“The sessions are very safe here. There’s quite a few vulnerable people that come to the sessions, for them to be able to come along, its very nice. It’s really comforting to see.”

Charlie Bonner, who runs the weekly LGBTQ+ sessions said: “The closed group sessions we deliver are a great way for members to use the gym and socialise with others in a welcoming and judgement free environment. 

“We are fortunate enough to have exclusive access to the gym and facilities for our LGBTQ+ Gym & Social sessions which is a great way of reducing any anxiety that people may face. 

“The group is inclusive and accepting of all members and is extremely beneficial to everyone through utilising solid peer support elements to make people feel at ease.”

Through the success of the sessions, the Fit Rovers project has expanded further to create a new course for the LGBTQ+ community, called Fit Rovers Rainbow. With the course following the same structure of the already successful Fit Rovers Mens and Ladies courses, those attending will complete an 8-week course, involving a combination of both classroom and physical based activity sessions, suitable for all abilities. 

Classroom sessions will be interactive and will focus on a number of topics, such as mental health, nutrition and goal setting, followed by a variety of physical activities.

Speaking about the new Fit Rovers Rainbow courses available to sign up to, Charlie said: “This is our pioneering project exclusively for members of the LGBTQ+ community who are wanting a more structured approach to improve both their physical and mental wellbeing. 

“Our first cohort have recently finished their course, boasting some fantastic results, with a total weight loss of 11.4kg across the group and a waist circumference reduction of 31cm. 

“Those who attended have praised how accommodating and accessible the course is and how they’ve found their confidence and motivation has increased significantly towards making positive changes to their lifestyle.”

Participants who completed the first course were in attendance at Doncaster Rovers’ dedicated rainbow laces fixture last week, where they watched the game from the stands as Rovers beat Colchester United, 3-1. 

If you’re interested about the current sessions delivered throughout the week or would like more information on the Fit Rovers Rainbow course, please contact charlie.bonner@clubdoncasterfoundation.co.uk.