NOW Group members are jumping with joy

NOW Group – a social enterprise who work with adults with learning difficulties and autism living in Tyrone – have just jumped, lifted and ran their way through a six
week health and wellbeing programme.

The participants who took part in the programme told the Tyrone Herald that the six weeks they spent at Source gym in Omagh has left them feeling healthier, fitter and happier than before.

This programme, which was branded ‘NOW We Move’, is typical of the sort of initiatives run by NOW group, all of which, in some manner, aim to increase the participants self-reliance, independence, confidence and self-esteem.

Aisling O’Doherty, the community development manager with Omagh’s NOW Group, explained the thinking behind getting the NOW Group members involved in the programme.

“The aim of the ‘NOW We Move’ programme was to use a structured series of workshops to help the participants develop their general independence, and, more specifically, to help them become comfortable and confident enough to use the gym,” said Aisling.

From watching the final session and listening the participants afterwards, it is clear that the project has borne fruit. Everyone seems to have gained knowledge about the importance of health and nutrition.

“We have interwoven physical exercise and healthy eating in the programme. We’ve been getting everyone involved in new activities including different kinds of physical activity, shopping and cooking,” said Aisling.

And, as with any NOW Group programme, by its very nature, it helps participants improve their social skills.

“We undertook this programme, after hearing from participants and their parents, that there was a desire for it.

“They said that the pandemic gave rise to some bad habits, so they wanted us to step in and try help them out,” Aisling explained.

This, too, is the NOW Group way of doing things. In deciding what programmes to invest in, they take the wishes of their participants seriously and develop strategies to meet their needs. So it should be no wonder that the feedback from those participants has been so overwhelmingly positive.

The pilot has been a remarkable success with participants expressing how they have enjoyed it all especially getting the opportunity to go along to Source Gym and feel a part of their community. Hopefully, now, the programme – or one similar – can be extended.