Aspire’s Gym Bus is On the Road!

From written concept to road-ready venture, it’s been a long journey to this point - and the team here at Aspire Oxford are thrilled to be celebrating the launch of our fantastic new sports and social project, the Aspire Gym Bus! 

We believe everyone deserves straight-forward access to social, active opportunities - no matter their financial situation or location. With our new Gym Bus - soon to be on the road thanks to the crucial work of our team, volunteers, partners and our generous supporters - we can work towards making this vision a reality.

Why?

Across Oxfordshire, people experiencing disadvantage in more isolated or deprived areas of the county often don’t have the chance to socialise with others, or to be active. This can be incredibly detrimental to mental health, emotional and physical wellbeing, and frequently results in a negative impact on other areas of life - such as education or employment.

This is where the Aspire Gym Bus comes in! As the first of its kind in Oxfordshire, our Gym Bus - kindly donated by Oxford Bus Company - will serve as part of our wider STRIVE initiative, where we work to improve the accessibility of sports and social inclusion opportunities for those most in need, and support them in making lasting positive life change.

How?

The activities we will be taking to individuals across the county will enable them the chance to socialise and build strong friendships with others who understand their experiences, enhancing their emotional wellbeing and boosting their confidence. 

With a selection of sports sessions, exercise equipment and interactive nutritional advice to choose from, Gym Bus users can work on improving their health and fitness, taking the time to enjoy themselves, develop new skills, build resilience, and discover more about themselves in the process.

“Aspire’s new Gym Bus is set to transform the lives of hundreds of people facing disadvantage across our community. We’re over the moon to be able to bring sports activities to people who are too often forgotten by society, helping them to make lasting changes to their lives.” - Nikki Aitkinson, Head of Employment Projects at Aspire

In 2018-19, Aspire supported 485 people into education, training, work experience and employment. From experience, we know that sports and social progress makes the navigation of these further positive steps feel more within reach - and we can’t wait for the Gym Bus to hit the road.

Support Aspire Today

From donating to fundraising, volunteering or spreading the word, there are a variety of ways to support the much-needed work of Aspire Oxford, and programmes like our new Gym Bus, across Oxfordshire today.

For more information about the work we do, or how you can get involved with Aspire, please contact Dominique at [email protected].