Jade's Journey
“I never imagined this place would change my life”
Jade’s story is a powerful reminder that one brave step, can transform your life!
Turning Point
At a time when she felt overwhelmed, signed off work, and struggling with her mental health as a single mum, discovering the Movement Not Meds initiative at Cyclopark became the turning point she desperately needed.
Lifeline
What began as a tentative search for help quickly became a lifeline—a welcoming community that rebuilt her confidence, lifted her wellbeing, and sparked a complete lifestyle transformation, when she needed it most
Renewal
Today, Jade is back at work, feeling stronger, happier, and more focused than ever—and she’s proudly modelling those healthy habits for her daughter, who now shares in her love of movement!
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Read The Story
Discover more about Jade’s journey from here perspective, with first person written testimonial!
We sat down with Jade to get her point of view on here experience at Cyclopark Charity, and the programmes she participated in.
Read The Story
Discover more about Jade’s journey from here perspective, with first person written testimonial!
We sat down with Jade to get her point of view on here experience at Cyclopark Charity, and the programmes she participated in.
The Cyclopark Charity Effect
We believe that our venue provides a place for everyone in our community.
Our targeted programmes and expert support create a welcoming environment for people to grow, feel inspired and change their life at Cyclopark!
Movement Not Meds Programme
Movement Not Meds (MnM) is our social prescribing programme that helps people improve physical and mental health through structured movement, access to our facilities gym, classes and support from our Park Fitness team.
For Jade, struggling with anxiety and depression, MnM provided a “lifeline,” helping her gain confidence, improve wellbeing, and return to work full-time!
Find out more about Movement Not Meds
Parent & Baby Fitness
Parent & Baby Fitness lets parents exercise with children aged six weeks to four years, removing childcare barriers, and allowing parents to return to physical exercise in a pressure-free, relaxed and supportive environment!
For Jade, these sessions made fitness manageable, improved her health, and created a positive role model for her daughter, who now enjoys being active alongside her!
Find out more about Parent and Baby Fitness
Impact On Jade
For Jade, who had never used a gym and struggled with severe anxiety, the friendly, non-judgemental environment was key.
Feeling known, supported, and welcomed kept her coming back, helping her improve sleep, motivation, and confidence, and ultimately turn movement into a sustainable habit that transformed her wellbeing.
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Jade's Journey
“I was at a really low point. I was signed off work, completely miserable, and I’d gained a lot of weight—I was a size 16/18. Mentally, I had zero motivation and felt down all the time. Being a single mum is hard enough, but I knew I had to do something; something had to change and I really had to get back to work.
Funnily enough, I’d never stepped foot in a gym in my 34 years! When I visited my GP about my mental health struggles, they suggested exercise. I was a bit taken aback at first, but I started researching local options online. That’s how I found the Movement Not Meds initiative at the Cyclopark.
I enquired immediately. I was so anxious, but they had space and came back to me quickly—it honestly felt like a lifeline. I joined in January 2025 and I’ve been going ever since.”
“The initiative is designed to bridge the gap between medical advice and actual, tangible action, helping people get back to their ‘normal, for me that was getting happier so that I could get back to work. The first person I met was Claire, who was brilliant. She wrote me a programme up, which was so helpful because I genuinely didn’t know what to do.
Even with the programme, it was still difficult to commit initially. I’m a single parent and always have my daughter to think about. The game-changer was finding classes like the Parent & Baby sessions—that’s what finally made it stick. Those classes are just so good because I could bring my daughter along, and it meant I was modelling great, healthy habits for her too.”
Now, it’s a lifestyle; I even do a core class on Sundays while my mum takes my daughter to the play park. I’ve become so confident that I bought my own resistance bands and Kettlebells, and I do workouts at home now. The knowledge they taught me is completely transferable—it’s about making movement a part of your life.
The biggest impact has been on my wellbeing. I was truly miserable before. Now? I’m sleeping better, I genuinely feel like I have motivation and focus. It’s given me a new perspective on everything. Instead of reaching for a glass of wine, I’d rather go for a walk or head to the gym. Crucially, movement has flipped my life on its head an enabled me to go back to work.
The physical changes have been staggering too. I went from a size 16/18 down to a size 10! My strength and energy have completely changed, too. Before, I was eating family-size chocolate and family-size crisps in front of the TV. Now, I’m in a working-out mindset, so my diet is better—lots more fruit and vegetables. My daughter eats so well now because I’m modelling that healthy behaviour to her too.”
“My friends have definitely noticed! I’ve had a few of them on the weight loss jabs, and they were giving me the side-eye, asking what I was taking because I’d done so well! I just tell them it’s exercise and a better diet. Most importantly, my family and friends have noticed how much happier and upbeat I am now, and that is what I wanted from all of this. The weight loss has just been a happy extra.
The atmosphere at the Cyclopark is completely different from other gyms. I tried a different gym, and I just wasn’t comfortable. Here, everyone is lovely. It’s a community feel you don’t get elsewhere. People greet you, say hello, and get to know you by name. It’s more than a gym; it’s a place where I feel like I’m part of something bigger.
My daughter even asks to come here! The support and the atmosphere are why I kept coming back. This programme was a pilot, and seeing it grow, knowing it’s helping other people, is wonderful. I just think it should be advertised more because it truly works, I can’t believe how far I’ve come since the start of the year; I wasn’t working because of my mental health and now I’m back at work full-time and thriving!
And you know the cutest part? When my friends and their babies come over, they see my workout equipment, and now the babies all want their own for Christmas! Can you imagine a group of three-year-olds already seeing movement as a really positive thing? I was so proud to be setting that example”