2010 is already a winning year for Bridget  after she won a free gym membership as part of a Derbyshire Dales District Council competition.

The timing couldn’t have been better for Bridget, who after suffering a mini-stroke last year is currently taking part in a tailor-made exercise programme at Ashbourne Leisure Centre - one of Derbyshire Dales District Council’s four fitness gyms, each of which provides 20 sessions at just £1.00 a time to patients referred by GPs, physiotherapists and nurses.
 
Throughout January, the District Council is giving away a gym membership each week in a free-to-enter online competition at derbyshiredales.gov.uk – and Bridget’s name was first out of the hat in week one.
“Winning this prize is a real blessing for me,” said Bridget, who needed surgery in May last year to clear a blocked artery in her neck.
“The sessions with an Active Health Referral Instructor have been really beneficial, but I only have a couple left and desperately wanted to continue the gym work, so I’m thrilled to bits.”
Derbyshire Dales District Council employs three Active Health Referral Instructors on a scheme that was established as a three-year partnership with Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust.

The Active Exercise Referral Scheme enhances the Derbyshire Dales’ reputation as one of the healthiest places to live in the UK.
Chairman of the District Council’s Community and Environment Committee, Councillor Mrs Janet Goodison said: “We felt the New Year was a great time to run our gym competition and maybe prompt a few healthy resolutions.
“It’s fabulous that Bridget is going to use her gym membership to continue the good work of our Active Health Referral Scheme, which is designed to increase levels of physical activity and change lifestyles to include exercise. This is so important because we know from listening to local people that they are concerned to look after their health.”
Since Derbyshire Dales District Council introduced the referral scheme in August 2008 there have been around 500 referrals from the medical profession, introducing local people to exercise and support in an enjoyable way.

For more information about how to win a gym membership follow this link....