Clissold Leisure Centre is set to continue its programme of community outreach by inviting local business Whole Foods to promote its brand.
This comes after the success of the ‘Better Thursdays’ initiative which hosts unusual events at the centre every other week.
The programme rollout started in September and it began with theme weeks like ‘Fruit’ – where a fresh fruit stall was set up in the lounge – ‘Smoothie,’ and ‘Chocolate’.
It has since involved Olympic legacy sports such as wheelchair basketball.
CLC staff explain the programme as “a fun thing for the members” that requires them “all to dress up in tropical t-shirts, set up a big table and give out fruit or what have you”.
But this is just the beginning.
Manager Mandy Sargent, and her deputy Elliot Rollins, recruited at the beginning of the year, have big ideas for the centre.
“We’re also going to engage the local community, people like Whole Foods, to come in, participate and promote their business,” said Mandy.
The programme, which will include quiz nights, community socials and organised sports for underprivileged and troubled teens, has been gradually introduced since the beginning of September, but will be formally launched in the new year.
“There’s been a great response,” Mandy said. She cites the success of Be Inspired Day in September when Paralympian Darren Harris visited the centre.
Elliot concluded: “It’s an important change of ethos.”
The Whole Foods on Stoke Newington Church Street is part of the multinational chain from the US. It is one of 4 in the UK. You’re right in that it isn’t a local business in the sense that it’s from overseas, but this branch is local to Hackney hence the partnership.
When you say “inviting local business Whole Foods to promote its brand”, do you mean the “local business” that is a multi-national chain and based in Austin, Texas?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Foods_Market