New YMCA brings us together as Family
More than 1,800 members have joined as it rolls out new fitness programs
Who knew that when the municipality chose the YMCA to run the pool and fitness side of the new Sunny Life Recreation & Wellness Centre that the community was also getting a matchmaker.
It’s been an unusual couple of months watching the Campbellford YMCA come to life and become a source of new friends, well at least four new friends.
The matchmaking has been driven by the YMCA’s price structure. Back in September when the price schedule was released some people said the cost was too high and no one from Trent Hills would ever be able to afford to go.
Then, they took a closer look at that pricing and realized that the best deal by far was a Family of Five. I put that in italics because the YMCA doesn’t care what five people want to be considered a family.
So, suddenly Facebook has been filled with pleas from Families that need an extra person or two, or a single person looking to join someone else’s Family. Full disclosure, I am in a Family my wife brought together that includes a couple of people I’ve never met. I guess we’ll have them over for dinner or drinks some time.
A few days ago, I talked to Eunice Kirkpatrick, President and CEO of YMCA Northumberland, about how the startup and early days of the new centre has been going.
“We have over 1,800 members,” she said. “That’s doubled since my goal for opening in December was 1,000 and we were pretty close. It's just steadily increased.”
Once people learned about the aquafit and other fitness classes that the Y started offering in early January, interest exploded. One recent aquafit class had 61 people in the pool with some wearing belts so they could float in the deep end and do the exercises.
She agreed the pool has been crowded sometimes but said having the separate therapy pool helps the Y serve many people. Recently, it adjusted the schedule for the therapy pool to accommodate the needs of more users.
Kirkpatrick says managers recognize the importance of flexibility as they learn the needs of the community.
“We want to hear from the community what they’re really looking for and we're adding and subtracting programs depending on the need,” she says.
Already seeing the demand, more aquafitness classes are planned. As well, there plans to offer a play centre and child minding so parents can know their kids are safe while they work out.
Kirkpatrick acknowledged that one continuing challenge is finding lifeguards for daytime sessions. It has grabbed all the local teenagers who are qualified to handle evening sessions but is looking for qualified people to fill daytime slots.
To help fill the gap it plans a training session for adults who would like to become lifeguards and already has a half dozen people lined up for the program. If you’d like to learn more about this initiative, just ask staff, she says.
“We are also looking for an aquatic co-ordinator,” she adds.
Planning is underway for a summer kids camp that will use all the space at the rec centre, including the arena since the ice will be out.
In addition, it will soon be offering the UpTurn program that provides free access to people battling addictions so they can enjoy the benefits of physical activity. This program is supported by the Ryan Huffman Foundation.
Another program coming soon is one that will provide free membership to new mothers. “We know a lot of young moms struggle with postpartum issues,” Kirkpatrick says. “We have had this program in place for several years now in Cobourg and Brighton. It's sponsored and they have access at no charge in their first year.”
She says that as the Y becomes part of the Trent Hills community it will start fundraising here for these programs and the one that offers reduced membership rates for any individual or family who can’t afford the full fare.
In coming months, the facility will also start offering training programs that will help people become instructors. “I want to see the personal training course and group fitness instructor training. These are the training that we do through the YMCA where people can get their qualifications and give back to the community.”
Over the next year, Kirkpatrick hopes the membership will grow to about 3,300. That’s the optimal size expected, based on the YMCA’s rule of thumb of 100 square feet per member.
“That's our end goal and that's how our business model has been developed in partnership with the municipality.” The town has agreed to support the YMCA as it grows its membership but hopes it will be self-sustaining in the long run.
Finally, I asked Kirkpatrick about the YMCA’s definition of family.
She says the loosened requirements for what’s considered a family developed as the YMCA came out of COVID restrictions and realized that a broader definition was needed to accommodate the various ways we now live.
“It's not your traditional family unit anymore. We said let's put it out to five people and they don’t have to be living in the same household.”
This family offering has been successful in Cobourg and Brighton and now here and its helping us become a fitter community, together as family.
You can read all Trent Hills News stories on my website here.
The Y is such a great organization ❤️🙏