We are more than just a Centre; we are a community where everyone is on their own journey. The Gym and the Activities Programme can often provide a much needed lifeline for those in the local and wider community, offering opportunities to improve healthy living for those of all ages. Participants benefit from the community spirit that lies at the heart of all Cambrian Centre activities. A selection of testimonials for both the Activities Programme and the Gym appear below.
Testimonials for the Activities Programme
I love the café, and the choir. I started with the choir more than two years ago. Through that I heard about the café and I’ve been going there very regularly since it started. I make a point of going every week if I can.
I really enjoy coming to table tennis and playing and talking to the other people. It helps to keep me fit and use my brain. It is a very good experience. HJ
I really need and enjoy table tennis. Kate is marvellous at running the sessions. Really good to come to the Centre. JJ
Since retiring I’ve made a new circle of friends through the Cambrian choir, we talk about our families, other parents, about what’s going on locally. I’m at a stage of life when I’m finding things in common with new people.
I’m very impressed with the improvements including the new kitchen. We all want the centre to be successful because we all benefit. Two choir members are in the gym, another has joined pilates, there’s a network of solidarity.
The centre is like a hub, a meeting place where everyone feels welcome and the volunteers are fabulous. It means a lot to me.
Noreen’s Tuesday yoga class at 10.00 is suitable for all levels. It is both in person and online, and very good value. Noreen is a thorough and patient teacher who knows her students individually and has many regular attenders.
I was delighted to be introduced to table tennis again, 40 years on, through the Cambrian Centre. It is a mainstay of my week and being so close to my home I can go again and again. The fact that I can do something I passionately love is great, even better it’s free!
The Gym and the Table Tennis ‘club’ have proved to be a great blessing : the Gym for the encouragement to regain and sustain a better level of fitness; the Table Tennis for the sheer fun of it. Table Tennis has proved to be something of a lifesaver.
Through the Table Tennis group firm friendships are forged- the value of this table tennis group cannot be over praised in my opinion. To me it is priceless. Any support of it would be immensely appreciated by every member of the group I am sure. M
My belief in the value and impact of the Centre are not just “kind words” but something I feel very strongly about. The Centre’s work and positive effect on the local community is something that, in my view, must not be allowed to wither or die. I am encouraged that you continue to look forward and are ambitious in your plans. More power to your elbow!
The exercise that table tennis gives is just the right level for me- as long as I choose my partner carefully. Practicing hand-eye coordination is a good challenge to give myself each week. The fun and laughter that fills the room is really uplifting. It’s a laugh I don’t get on any other day.
I cannot tell you just how much I appreciate everything you’ve done and are doing. Your help and support means a huge amount.
Coming here is a Godsend. I feel so comfortable and so relieved. It’s so nice to socialise with other people. When I leave the Centre I feel I am able to carry on with my life.
Testimonials for the Gym
We are both elderly with various physical challenges. We never feel out of place or embarrassed – but helped and supported in a friendly environment where we have been encouraged to gain confidence and to get fitter and stronger AND WE ARE!
The Gym is a great resource and we are truly grateful for its existence!
I can honestly say the gym has changed my life for the better. I have mobility issues and wanted to come to the gym to improve my fitness and hopefully loose a bit of weight, both of which I have achieved, my blood pressure is also now at normal levels where before is was raised. Vicki is totally amazing. So helpful and supportive and I hope I can now consider her a friend. There is no way that I would feel comfortable attending one of the more well known Gyms, here at the Cambrian Centre everyone is so friendly and I never feel self conscious or judged. I hope to continue attending for as long as the facility is there.
I’ve been trying to attend the gym fairly regularly recently, mainly for cardio and strength work that my GP has recommended to improve my heart health and improve my body’s resistance to nerve pain. It’s really helped and I very much value the guidance of the friendly and knowledgeable gym staff.
I appreciate the individual attention that I get and the feeling that I am benefitting from it. But perhaps most telling is that I am actually enjoying it and positively look forward to a regular slot on Mondays. There is a lack of the hassle I expect at a “normal gym” when in my limited experience there is often somebody behind you waiting with ostentatious impatience for you to finish using a piece of equipment. There is encouragement to stretch yourself but only at your own pace and with the emphasis on doing it gradually. Finally, and most importantly, there is a sense that somebody is keeping watch to ensure you are staying safely within your limits. And doing so unobtrusively. MW
I’m really impressed by all the gym instructors at the Cambrian Centre. You are all much more than the sum of your parts and mere job titles, you’ve really helped me to feel so much better and supported in my well-being. It feels like you are providing the best care and in a completely holistic way. I really feel coming to the Cambrian Gym is transformative. I feel very grateful for your presence in my life. JL
The gym has helped me both physically and mentally. Both my lungs and breathing have been noticeably improved as well as my stamina and energy. Since starting to come to the gym, I have built up time being able to go on machines. BH
I really can’t thank you enough for your help, kindness and humanity. Using the gym regularly again when it’s a bit quieter is something I’m slowly getting used to again and also helping my mental health. PP
The exercise referral scheme at the Cambrian Gym has helped me immensely. Not only for its physical aspects but the mental challenge. The scheme has been a brilliant way to get from hospital back to the normal world. I am stronger physically; it has improved my balance, and I have found it very enjoyable. RS
I only had one session with Vicki and the rest have been with Sarah and I have to admit both girls are brilliant, helpful, kind and very supportive. DN
First of all I would like to thank you for the opportunity to join the gym. After only 5 visits, I am already beginning to see some improvement and less stiffness. Sarah is very supportive, kind and helpful and monitors my progress during each visit.
Having been referred to Cambrian Gym by a physio following an operation, I went along for my assessment and was given a gentle “programme”. I liked the fact that the gym is small and being a retired lady was delighted there wasn’t a “crop top” in sight or men watching their muscles grow in mirrors! I felt (and still feel) most at ease there. It’s never overcrowded and we go about our individual routines quietly but are happy to chat if someone wants to. The staff are lovely and very helpful and you always leave in a better frame of mind from when you arrived! HG
I first went to the Cambrian Gym to prepare for a forthcoming hip replacement and saw Vicki. I was given a personalised exercise programme, which I followed diligently and contributed to my rapid recovery to normal activity after the operation- nine months later I successfully went on a challenging mountain walking tour. Now I am a regular gym user, keen to stay fit and maintain muscle strength. Particularly during Covid restrictions, it provided a great way to enjoy social links and share experiences. It is a friendly gym, where you can exercise at your own pace and lycra is definitely not compulsory. CJ
The Gym has improved my commitment to exercise, allowed me to make new friends in the community and the tutors have been invaluable. The exercise programme has built up my stamina, introduced me to new activities, and I have enjoyed learning how to exercise. HA
I have been a regular user of the Cambrian Gym since about 2018, when I was experiencing a great deal of knee pain, which in turn made walking difficult and that had a knock on effect on my confidence and everyday activities. I was referred by the Physio Team at the Sheen Lane Centre. Outwardly the facilities here are not a patch on other state of the art gyms but what the Cambrian Gym lacks in size and variety, it makes up for in the knowledge, care and attitude of its highly qualified staff. During my induction with Vicki we discussed my knee pain and the now urgent but still distant need for a surgical solution. Essentially I was following a custom-made pre-hab regime prior to partial knee replacement surgery and when the NHS Physios gave the go ahead, I returned for supervised rehab after the operation. I am convinced that the physical and mental effect of this contributed in large part to the success of my surgery, enabling me to regain confidence, re-engage with working and social life and to lead an active life. I have continued to use the Cambrian Gym, using its facilities, support and friendly atmosphere to stay as physically and mentally fit and healthy as I can. Going to the Gym has been quite literally a lifeline both physically and mentally. this low key centre of excellence provides support, encouragement and a friendly space for people of all ages and abilities to better their physical and mental condition. It is an absolute asset to the community and anyone involved in supporting it should know that the benefits it brings are hugely greater than its apparent size. EC
I was referred originally to the gym through the NHS physio service offered locally for elderly people with deteriorating arthritis. The exercise programme, designed initially to strengthen leg muscles to combat painful knee joints soon expanded into a holistic, whole body effort, which, quite frankly, has been among the best things I’ve ever decided to take on. The effect of arthritis, whether it be hip or knee, or whatever, is to encourage a sedentary default, and visiting the gym regularly has helped me to combat this in the best possible way. Walking is still difficult, but 3 sessions in the gym per week gets the muscles working and the blood aerated and is an absolutely essential part of my routine. The Cambrian Gym is a small venue, with a capacity of half a dozen or so exercisers at any one time, but this is to its great advantage. I find that productive and friendly conversations are often instigated during a session that is very good for my emotional health. There is humour, intelligence and a productive mutual exchange of information that I cannot imagine any other establishment being able to provide. I try to go three times a week for an hour. I miss it when I can’t make it, and even if I feel a little under the weather first thing, I am always energised and positive when I leave. TS