Back to Freemoovement!

Aim

Freemoovement's aim to remove barriers to being active and improve health by training volunteers to lead and inspire their communities.

GET BACK TO FREEMOOVEMENT

Over the last 18 months, we have been able to keep communities active and connected due to the incredible passion shown by our volunteers.  However, we have reduced the number of activities and projects we deliver as we have focused on providing help to those in our community who needed it most. But now it's time to get Back to Freemoovement.

You can help Pay Forward the Power of Positivity, which is what Freemoovement is all about.  

Your donations will fund:

• £5000.00 - Training 30 Volunteers in: YMCA L2 Community Activators, BC Ride leaders qualification and First Aid for Mental Health.   
• £2000.00 - Buying new activity equipment for our sessions
• £2000.00 - Funding project management and staffing fees
• £1000.00 - Purchasing business licences and insurance

Having tailored, accessible, community-focused activities which improve physical health and mental wellbeing, while additionally providing volunteer training and opportunities is now more vital than ever.

IMPACT OF COVID-19

Like all organisations, we have suffered huge losses as a result of funding streams being channelled to other essential services, but we still need support  to keep Freemoovement moving forward and providing free and accessible activities for residents in Exeter and Torbay.

Over the past 18 months have adapted to support the health of our community. We have used our knowledge and skills to mobilise volunteers to support the most vulnerable in our society by:

• Delivering weekly food and medical supplies to the shielding and vulnerable
• Hosting weekly Zoom meetings bringing together community associations, faith groups, charities, health services and emergency response teams.   
• Setting up a community larder
• Delivering hot meals to the homeless a local hotel

It has been an honour to be able to respond to our community needs but now it's time to get "BACK TO FREEMOOVEMENT" and rebuild our community health engagement and physical activity project.

OUR VISION

We want every community to be able to take control and responsibility for improving their physical health and mental well-being by engaging with each other in their local open spaces. 

VOLUNTEER TRAINING

We want to train 30 volunteers who will engage and inspire their communities to get active, as YMCA level 2 Community Activators, British Cycling Ride leaders and Mental health First Aiders.

Training volunteers is crucial to inspire confidence for those who, due to the pandemic, may still be anxious about getting out and active in group environments or aren't motivated to be active on their own. Throughout the pandemic, people’s physical and mental health has suffered dramatically. There has never been a more vital time to empower communities to take control of their health and support each other.

FREEWHEELIN' SOCIAL BIKE RIDES

We also deliver social bike rides aimed at getting more people in the saddle and pedalling, exploring safe cycle routes around local cities and beyond, increasing sustainable travel options and confidence for residents. 

By training volunteers as ride leaders, we give people the motivation and confidence  to start or return to cycling, through gentle rides which revolve around fun activities and beautiful locations. 

By getting people cycling as part of daily life, this removes cars from the roads, reduces emissions in busy cities, improves health and means people can avoid public transport if they wish to.

FIRST AID 4 MENTAL HEALTH  

Empowering supportive communities, your support will enable us to expand our training programme and make a bigger, more positive impact on mental health and potentially save lives.

We are all becoming more aware that mental health is just as important as physical health - even elite Olympic athletes are highlighting the issue - but how many of us know how to provide support, have healthy and reassuring conversations and signpost to suitable services if we encounter someone who may be suffering from mild to moderate conditions or in crisis.

OUR IMPACT

More than just physical activity sessions, Freemoovement are the only community focused, health improvement organisation in the south west that train and up-skill volunteers to lead safe, effective, and enjoyable park-based fitness sessions and social bike rides which are accessible to all.

• We remove barriers
• We are socially inclusive
• We up-skill community volunteers
• We inspire positive behaviour change  

An example of our impact can be see in the below infographic which was created in  2019 - pre pandemic - this is why we need to get Back to Freemoovement!

We do so much more than just provide exercise activities in local parks, and our incredible ripple effect of positivity washes up on the shore of many individuals and groups across Devon. We feel there are so many more people that could benefit from our project and everyone should have the same opportunities to access safe, fun, and enjoyable health improvement sessions on their doorstep. 

So please donate what you can and help us get Back to Freemoovement!

Thank you. 

This project successfully funded on 15th October 2021