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Ha’Way and Weigh the GOGA Way

After successfully introducing Ha’Way and Weigh in Sunderland, the Foundation of Light has expanded this mix of healthy diets, lifestyle, and activity into South Tyneside. 

Five people stand and watch a woman do a plank at an indoor football pitch.

Ha’Way and Weigh is a healthy lifestyle programme focused on improving physical and mental wellbeing. Helping participants with weight loss and building confidence there is a focus on creating a positive, inclusive environment for people to build healthy habits.

The flexibility and 'give it a go’ approach of Get Out Get Active principles are at the heart of the scheme, with a new area in the North-East now benefitting from the successful initial programme.

Equipped with a booklet containing helpful tips on nutrition and exercise, facts covering topics like alcohol, eating out and mental health, and recipes that all the family can enjoy, participants are not left alone to struggle on between sessions. A WhatsApp group also helps to keep motivation strong, with the community sharing recipes and other helpful information with each other. 

Dom, a participant in Sunderland, stated:

"Each week is different but familiar and builds up confidence gradually allowing you to progress at your own pace. Everyone is very friendly, and Mollie explains everything thoroughly no matter how much experience people have."

All sessions are delivered by staff from the Foundation of Light, addressing the needs of the attendees individually. One of the prior barriers to participating in activity is a lack of confidence to get started. Creating a class that has a familiar set-up each week has helped with this: 

  • The instructor greets participants, asks how their week has been and completes the weigh-ins. 
  • There is a demonstration of each exercise, with a warm-up followed by circuit training. 
  • Finishing off with a cool down, the instructor then answers any questions participants may have and goes through the booklet. 

"The impact which attending the sessions are having on my lifestyle is good," said Beverly, a participant in one of the new sessions being delivered in South Tyneside.

"My portion sizes at mealtimes are getting smaller. I am motivated to exercise at home, even if it just means going for a walk. My weight is a bit up and down, but I feel better in myself, particularly after a session."

In Sunderland, there are between five and 10 regular participants each week. In South Tyneside, between 15 and 20 people attend on a weekly basis. 

Jade Gilbertson, GOGA lead at the Foundation of Light, said: 

"We are always recruiting! Cleadon has a maximum capacity of 24 per class due to the size of the venue. We cater for that by people booking on beforehand. In Boldon and Sunderland, we have plenty of space for newcomers."

To join in a Ha’Way and Weigh session, visit the Foundation of Light website. 

Get Out Get Active (GOGA) began in 2016. It brings disabled and non-disabled people together to be active. It looks to engage the least active communities in fun and inclusive ways. Find out more about GOGA on our website.