Macclesfield Leisure Centre providers Everybody Health and Leisure have achieved their ambitious target of hitting 50k volunteering hours in a decade.

The voluntary hours were logged from 1st May 2014 to 12th February 2024 across 16 Leisure facilities in Cheshire East, including Macclesfield Leisure Centre

Examples of sessions where people volunteered at in Macclesfield include:

• Community Connector roles
• Supporting Walking Netball
• No Strings Badminton
• Pickleball Sessions
• Para Netball
• Supporting our Learn to Swim Scheme
• Volunteers support the Ability For All programme at 'Fun for All'
• Inclusive Cycling sessions in Macclesfield

The volunteering helped the provision of their sessions, and was true to the leisure providers name, in ensuring that sport is accessible to everyone.

No strings badminton held at Macclesfield, featuring some volunteers.

To put things into perspective, 50,000 volunteering hours is 2083 days, or 5.7 years.

In a statement sent to Macclesfield Nub News, Everybody Health and Leisure said: "Everybody Health & Leisure [Everybody], are delighted to have achieved their ambitious target of hitting 50k volunteering hours from May 2014 to February 2024."

"Everybody provides volunteers with a safe, supportive and rewarding experience within a health, sporting and leisure environment. The amazing team of volunteers are dedicated to supporting their community to become more active and healthier.

"Since the start of Everybody in May 2014 they have recorded the hours that people have volunteered to support the clubs, activities and members, which has totalled an impressive amount."

A volunteer shows the way at walking netball.

Here is a look back over the years as a health and leisure charity, recognising the key milestones of Everybody's volunteers:

2014 – Congleton Queen's Baton Relay, Commonwealth Games

2015 – Cheshire East Tour of Britain

2017 – 20,000 volunteering hours achieved

2020 – Everybody's first health walks re-launched post-covid

2023 – Outstanding Contribution Award – CLUK Active Kindness Awards

Keith Rogers pictured inside Macclesfield Leisure Centre. (Image - Macclesfield Nub News)

Keith Rogers Sports Lead - Youth Participation & Volunteering at Everybody Health and Leisure, who also runs the Sport and Social Sessions in Macclesfield, had this to say on the milestone.

"It's a huge milestone to reach 50,000 hours given by our amazing volunteers, some of whom have been with the trust since its inception in 2014," he said.

"Volunteers play a key role in helping us deliver our important services to as many people as possible. Through our passionate volunteers we have helped to get more people active and reduce social isolation of people within our communities, whilst also reducing isolation for the volunteer themselves. Our aim with all volunteer projects is to encourage people to come together, feeling safe to do so, and meet new friends in a social environment."

"The Everybody volunteer programme is the perfect place for you to make a difference in your community. Based in the heart of the community, Everybody Health & Leisure works with many partners to provide volunteer opportunities for local people.

A swim volunteer inspires little swimmers. (Image - Everybody Macclesfield)

"We've seen an increase in volunteering this past 12 months of 90% increase on the previous year.

"We introduced the community connector role in partnership working with Community Leisure UK on the Active Kindness project, seeing the team recognised by the project as winners of the "Outstanding Contribution Award – Winner. We are really excited for what's next to come with the introduction of a new volunteer management system giving us the tools to grow and develop".

Volunteering has many benefits including, reduction in stress, reduces depression, keeps people mentally stimulated, provides career progression opportunities and also provides a sense of purpose. It has great benefits to the local community and all the individuals that these volunteers interact with.

If you would like to give something back to your community and find out more about volunteering opportunities with Everybody visit this link.

Macclesfield Leisure Centre, Priory Lane, Upton Priory.

To join Macclesfield Leisure Centre, please click HERE.

Everybody Health and Leisure are sponsors of Macclesfield Nub News.