Fitness fundraiser at The Nest aims to raise thousands for Ukraine

A group fitness trainer and business owner is hoping his upcoming fundraiser will give people the chance to enjoy a fun workout whilst raising vital funds for the British Red Cross’s Ukraine Crisis Appeal.

Matt Philpot and his team at ATP Health and Fitness aim to raise thousands for the appeal when they host over four hours of fitness classes on Sunday 22^nd May at The Nest in Norwich.

The ATP Fitness team

Open to everyone, the eight 45-minute classes will run from 9am to 1pm across three outdoor and indoor spaces, with classes including combat, outdoor bootcamp, pilates, rockbox, kettlebells, HIIT, over 50s keep fit and bodysculpt.

To deliver the classes, Matt will be joined by colleagues and fellow group fitness instructors Louise Bugg, Polly Cooke Norton and Hannah Taylor.

“We’ve all seen the horrific situation in Ukraine on the television and on our news feeds, and the terrible humanitarian crisis that it has caused for millions of families across the region.

“It’s difficult not to feel powerless in times like these, but as a team we wanted to do something. That’s where the plan for this fitness morning came from.”

Matt has set a target of £2,000 for the fundraiser, which will be used by the British Red Cross to purchase essential items such as food, water, warm clothes and medicines.

“I’ve run a number of group fitness fundraisers over the years for the likes of East Anglian Air Ambulance, Cancer Research and Children’s Hospice which have all been very successful and well supported, but this is our most ambitious fundraiser yet.

“We’ll have two classes running simultaneously for four hours – and depending on uptake, we may even be able to open up a couple more! We’re hoping to see hundreds of people across the morning.”

Matt stresses that the classes are open to all, and not just members of ATP Health & Fitness: “There’s a class for everyone, whatever their level of experience or ability.  It’s all about getting sweaty, having some fun and most of all, supporting a really important cause.”

The Nest, the Norwich City Community Sports Foundation’s facility on the outskirts of Norwich have donated their facilities to ATP Health & Fitness free-of-charge for the event.

“We’re really grateful to guys at The Nest,” said Matt. “We know the team there really well as we use their fantastic facilities week-in week-out for our regular classes, and once we told them our plans for this special event, they didn’t hesitate in donating their spaces to us free-of-charge.”

Parking is free, and The Nest café will be serving hot and cold refreshments throughout the morning.

Matt is asking for a minimum of £5 donation per class in advance via their Just Giving page. The page has the full class schedule for the event and includes a sign-up link.

To find out more email [email protected] or visit www.healthandfitness.uk.com