Two years, one mission
How the pandemic made GoodGym only more motivated in it's mission
April 20, 2022
Looking back over the last two years, this story’s purpose is to shed some light (and shout big congrats) to those GoodGym heroes that truly made a difference.
Having passed the landmark of two years since we saw our first lockdown, we have a lot to be proud of in our local communities.
The pandemic left its mark. Whether it be mental health conditions on the rise, long-Covid holding fast or general reduction of budget and resources to get the help we may need… never have we been so proud of the local community’s strength and compassion. Seeing local people rally together for the common good has been nothing short of inspiring.
Constantly motivated by this, GoodGym were more than happy to adapt and overcome to ensure that we could continue our work when it came to supporting those who needed us.
A truly adaptable crew
GoodGym’s mission to ‘get fit whilst doing good’ gave new meaning during the pandemic, with many people choosing to use their once-a-day exercise allowance to think of others whilst carrying out missions and good deeds. These often included supporting isolated and vulnerable people who had no other support around them.
Operationally, this was tough, as ever-changing guidelines meant that our restrictions and practices had to constantly evolve to ensure everyone was kept safe. But helping to make older and more vulnerable people feel cared for and less lonely was more than enough reason to get things working at their best.
It was the amazing amount of GoodGymers that stepped up to being mission-verified, that made such a huge impact during this time.
Here are just a few of the amazing things we accomplished together:
133 - the amount of people that had their home living spaces adapted to allow for their discharge from hospital
93 - the qty of oximeters delivered to COVID-19 positive patients so that they could monitor their oxygen levels at home
3823 - the amount of grocery orders shopped and delivered to local community members
61 - the number of foodbank parcels delivered to people in need
882 - the amount of prescriptions delivered to those who were unable to get the medicine they needed
For the last two years, GoodGym volunteers have gone above and beyond
Juliette from Community Connections, Lewisham said:
"GoodGym volunteers are seen as a lifeline for many of our clients. Countless service users have stated, “You get to a certain age and people forget about you, which is quite a disheartening reality. But to have these volunteers do what might seem like such a minuscule task to them, is actually really significant and touching for us”. For the last two years, GoodGym volunteers have gone above and beyond supporting their local community what with the on-going pandemic. They have literally been a lifeline to many."
So here’s to everyone for such a staggering achievement. This is what GoodGym gold is made of… people with big hearts, wide smiles and open arms.
Well done us!
Mission: Verified
As part of the evolution of becoming a GoodGymer, when you reach ‘mission-verified’ status it means that your ability to ‘do good’ opens up even more. This means that you can access more levels within the local community and carry out work where you see even more impact being made.
Talk about mission satisfaction!
"If you're not already mission verified, what are you waiting for? It's easy peasy. Missions are often life changing for older people and are really rewarding to do." Roz G from Liverpool said.
This includes things like:
- Delivering groceries or prescriptions to people unable to leave their home
- Light DIY such as changing lighbulbs for people unable to reach
- A spot of gardening for someone unable to keep their space looking nice
- Moving furniture or building flat-packs to enable better mobility in the home
- Delivering to foodbanks or helping out at community kitchens And so much more…
The benefits for GoodGymers are plenty too. With the biggest winners being:
- Increasing your motivation to exercise
- Helping to make your area a better place to live
- Connecting with great people
- Having the chance to support isolated and vulnerable people that often have no other source of help
I want to become mission verified! Where do I start?
To become mission-verified is simple… a couple of documents, a DBS check and a little extra training (around thirty minutes), all of which makes sure that you and the people you are helping, receive the best experience and care.
If you are already a GoodGymer, simply contact your Area Activator and tell them you want to be mission verified.
New to GoodGym? No problem.
Click the link below to sign up. Registration is super quick and easy. https://bit.ly/3vlgtTZ
Once a member, you can then contact the ‘Area Activator’ for your local area and let them know you want to do missions.
Easy, rewarding, impactful… so, what are you waiting for?
Want to view our Covid Good Deeds Live Feed counter? Click here to see where we are https://www.goodgym.org/impact-during-covid-19
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