Slimming groups meeting up again
Numbers limited as coronavirus safety guidelines in place
WEST Berkshire Slimming World groups are to meet again after more than four months apart.
Groups in the Newbury, Thatcham and Hungerford areas were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, but preparations are under way to welcome members back this week.
Richard Woodall runs three local groups including the Greenham Community Centre, where consultants have been practising new operating procedures for the reopening of groups.
He said: “When we went into lockdown, we stopped meeting our members in our venues.
“In fact we never stopped seeing them, we’ve been meeting them online and on our West Berkshire Facebook page throughout, but for us it’s our groups where the real magic happens”.
Em Watson Stubbs, who brought her support team to demonstrate to them how the groups will be run once they reopen, said: “It’s really exciting.
“It’s not just about opening the groups again; it’s vital that we give our members the confidence to come as I know many of them have had little or no experience in meeting people again and that’s what this is about.”
Consultant Mariana Simpson said: “Yes it’s going to be great to see our members again, but it is going to be different because we’ve all got to follow the coronavirus safety guidelines.
“For instance, everyone’s going to have to get weighed with their shoes on, which is a bit of a first.”
Limitations on the number of people in a group will also be imposed.
Karen Cutler, who runs the Newbury and Thatcham groups, said: “For us the magic number is going to be 30; at least for the next few weeks.
“We’re having to ask our members to contact us consultants before they come to a session because we’re restricted to 30 in the room at any one time and there’s no way that we are going to compromise on member safety.
“What’s so pleasing is that all my members I’ve spoken to understand this and still want to come along.”