Health & Wellbeing
Studies show that people experiencing homelessness are six times more likely to have heart disease, and are more likely to die at a younger age than people with secure housing. In fact, health inequalities are so stark that the mean age at death is just 45.4 years for men and 43.2 years for women experiencing homelessness.
New Beginnings
Fitness Suite
Our On-Site Gym
New Beginnings is our very own custom-designed fitness suite on-site at the Health & Wellbeing Centre. New Beginnings provides clients with one-to-one and group fitness sessions organised by our resident trainer, support worker Jason.
The gym has a rowing machine, treadmill, free weights, static bike, punching bag, multigym equipment and more.
We encourage all clients to get involved with the gym, whether they are more comfortable in groups or alone. The gym allows clients to push themselves in something new, gives them a distraction any issues in their personal lives, and gives them a real sense of achievement.
We strongly believe in the power of physical activity in improving mental health and wellbeing, and we are so proud to offer this facility at our Health & Wellbeing Centre and are pleased that our clients find real value in it.
In 2024, we partnered with Lily and Jordan Fitness to give New Beginnings a makeover and new equipment! You can read more about this here.
How the Gym helps our clients…
“I get any frustrations out in the gym – I just feel better for doing it. It helps to take my mind off any problems I have, and I miss it when I don’t come.”
Our wellbeing activity groups!
Promoting wellbeing is a core value of The Purfleet Trust. We find that when clients are engaged with wellbeing activities, their confidence improves and so do their outcomes.
New Beginnings is open year-round and our Support Worker, Jason, holds induction sessions for our clients, as well as group and 1-to-1 gym sessions.
In the warmer weather, we run the following wellbeing activity groups:
- Football
- Swimming
- Walking for Wellbeing
The Health and Wellbeing of everyone involved with Purfleet Trust is a high priority. Alongside our other services at the Health & Wellbeing Centre, we also work closely with partners in social care and the NHS to provide screening, physical and mental health services.
- Do you have a health concern?
- Are you at risk and would like tests to check your health?
- Would you like to discuss sexual health with a professional?
We offer all of these services and more in a safe, impartial and confidential manner.
Counselling
At the Health & Wellbeing Centre, we have a regular counsellor who sees our clients. Counselling is an important part of moving forward out of homelessness.
Our counsellor offers these services in a safe, impartial and confidential manner to ensure that our clients feel as comfortable as possible in opening up and getting the help that they need.
Wellbeing Room
In our Wellbeing Room at the Health & Wellbeing Centre, we have a number of drop-in clinics for our clients.
These include a regular nurse, volunteer hairdresser and footcare specialists.
These services are vital to ensure that our clients get the wraparound services that they need to move forward in their lives. With the health implications of homelessness so clear, having these health professionals work with us is essential.
