66-year old ‘Halo’ fitness instructor proves he has ‘No Best Before Date’

Halo Leisure Centre in Bridgend is showing its support for a Welsh Government campaign designed to challenge stereotypes and encourage employers to build a multigenerational workforce across Wales.

By 2022, one in three people of working age in Wales will be age 50 and over^[1]. Despite this, 28% of people aged 50-64 years in the UK are not actually in work^[2].

The ‘People Don’t Have a Best Before Date’ campaign highlights the valuable contribution older workers bring to businesses across Wales as well as the wider economy, while also encouraging employers to recruit, retain and train their employees who are over the age of 50.

Halo Leisure and Bridgend County Borough Council are exemplary organisations who champion a multi-generational approach to both their workforce and exercise classes. They picked up a national accreditation award last year, which included praise for their community outreach and leisure centres, like the one in Ogmore, which offers exercise classes and activities to all generations.

Leading one of their popular exercise groups is fitness instructor Geoff Cheetham, 66, who delivers Tai Chi classes and has just been chosen to support the group’s staff training programme.

At 61 Geoff retired from a career in housing and was teaching Tai Chi in his local community. Then, during a break to recover from a hip replacement, he decided to sign up for gym instructor training.

“I was double the age of everyone doing the Level 2 Gym Instructor course, but just as passionate,” he says.

“I have always been active, going to the gym, running half marathons and cycling as I know the difference exercise can make. Now I’m running sessions for more than 50 people, most of them over 50.

“I think Halo’s out-of-the box thinking about age – employing me later in life and being so inclusive in their approach to older customers who come into the centres – has brought rewards, both for the organisation and for the communities where it’s based. The age mix in the centres is great and growing and the health savings for the public purse must be substantial.”

Scott Rolfe, Halo’s CEO, agrees. “We run leisure centres across Bridgend County and programmes that reach out to everyone in the community, young and old, families, sports clubs and athletes in training for competition.

“Our success is down to people like Geoff who not only bring life experience to our staff cohort but also get behind what we are trying to do in a way that is infectious.

“There is a confidence and experience you get from the world of work that’s hard to quantify but is so important in a customer-facing role,” says Geoff. “I think Halo recognises that. I’m proud to be part of the team, and an ambassador for fitness over 50.

“We’re seeing more older men join the classes and are willing to give it a go perhaps because they see someone like them bouncing around at the front and realise they can do it too!”

The Welsh Government has partnered with the Learning and Work Institute, Business in the Community (BITC) Cymru, the Older People’s Commission, Ageing Well in Wales, the Federation for Small Businesses and Chwarae Teg on this campaign to challenge stereotypes, demonstrate the value of a multi-generational workforce and encourage employers to invest in skills throughout their employees’ working lives.

For employers looking for more information on how they can invest in the skills of their older workers, the Welsh Government’s Skills Gateway for Business – https://businesswales.gov.wales/skillsgateway/ has a range of advice and guidance.

-ENDS-

^[1] Welsh Government, Population projections, 2019.

^[2] The State of Ageing of 2019: Adding life to our years, Centre for Ageing Better. 13 March 2019.