For those facing loneliness and isolation, getting active can be about much more than just fitness. These three groups are using sport and movement to create connection, purpose and community
“Sport in Mind began with one simple intention: to help a friend who was unwell,” Neil Harris, founder and CEO of Sport in Mind, told Positive News. “Today, having supported more than 60,000 people, I’m reminded every day of the power of sport.”
Founded in 2010, the charity runs free sport and physical activity sessions for people experiencing mental health problems, from walking and football to gardening, dance and movement. Working with the NHS and community partners, it creates welcoming spaces where sport is treated less as competition and more as a route back into routine, confidence and recovery.
Image: Sport in Mind
The Bluetits Chill Swimmers is a free, volunteer-led community built around cold water swimming and dipping. What began in Wales has grown into a global network of informal local groups, where people meet outdoors to swim, dip, chat and build confidence in the water. Its appeal is not endurance or elite sport, but the chance to spend time in nature, challenge yourself gently and find companionship through a shared ritual.
“The Bluetits was founded to help people build confidence, connection and wellbeing through the simple act of being around and getting into cold water together,” said Sian Richardson, founder of the Bluetits Chill Swimmers.
Image: Ella Richardson
GoodGym turns exercise into practical community action. Its members run, walk or cycle to help local projects and isolated older people, whether that means clearing a garden, sorting donations at a food bank or helping someone with a task they can no longer manage alone.
“GoodGym was founded on a simple idea that we could use being active to help people and strengthen communities, Ed Field, head of operations, said. “What we’ve seen is that the benefits go both ways and that the people participating feel healthier, more connected and more purposeful through helping others.”
Each session combines movement with usefulness, giving people a reason to get active and to keep showing up, while turning exercise into something that reaches beyond the person doing it.
Image: Laura Lewis
Main image: Ella Richardson
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