Glasgow's east-end residents bouncing back to better health

Members of the East End Healthy Living Centre in Glasgow took part in a workout with a difference – an exercise class using giant Lottery gym balls. The special class was held to highlight the £48 million of National Lottery funding that has been invested in health projects in Scotland in the last year alone.

The East End Healthy Living Centre (EEHLC), which has benefited from over £1 million of Lottery funding to help with the refurbishment of the building and towards its running costs for three years, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of local residents. The Centre, on Crownpoint Road in the city’s East End, is situated amongst areas known for high levels of deprivation and some of the lowest life expectancy rates in the UK.

For local residents like Rita Mulholland (71 years old) the EEHLC is a lifeline - she has seen her fitness radically improve through the low-cost gym, helping her to lose over three-and-a-half stone in weight. She said: “The East End Healthy Living Centre has made a huge difference to my life. I used to think that this kind of thing was for younger people – but just look at me! I have lost weight, my high blood pressure has come down and it’s also helped with my emphysema. It’s a great meeting place and after the gym we always go down and have a cuppa and a chat.”

Her friend Maureen Morris (62 years old) is also a member of the East End Healthy Living Centre. She said: “I came to the open day here three years ago and haven’t looked back since. The staff are great and everyone is so friendly. I have hardening of the arteries in my legs and coming to the gym has helped with my circulation and improved my condition. I’ve lost weight too and just feel so much better. I come to the gym three times a week and I don’t know what I’d do without it now.”

The East End Healthy Living Centre aims to improve the health, fitness and wellbeing of local people by offering exercises classes, as well learning and creative sessions and incorporates an alternative stress centre and café providing healthy, low-cost food.

The fitness class involving the Lottery gym balls is part of a UK-wide campaign by The National Lottery. Every week, National Lottery players help raise £25 million for Good Causes in the UK and the campaign aims to highlight the diverse range of projects that benefit from Lottery funding across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.

Further giant Lottery balls will be popping up at various locations across Scotland this week, giving people the chance to see just a few examples of the projects that have benefited Lottery funding. Look out for them at the Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust in Edinburgh, the RRS Discovery in Dundee, Transition Extreme Sports in Aberdeen, the Highland Football Academy in Inverness and the Playfair Project at the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Sarah McKenna from The National Lottery explains: “We think it’s important that Lottery players know about all good causes, both in their area and across Scotland, that are made possible thanks to the money they help raise each week. “I hope that Rita and Maureen’s stories about how they’ve benefited from the East End Healthy Living Centre and the giant Lottery balls popping up across Scotland will help make people more aware of how Lottery funding has made a difference to their local community.”

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Ten facts about Lottery funding you might not know:

1. Each week Lottery players raise £25 million for Good Causes across the UK

2. Last year alone, more than £137 million of Lottery funding was invested in projects across Scotland

3. More than 37,000 grants have been awarded in Scotland since the Lottery began

4. The Lottery is 15 this year! The first Lottery draw was on 19 November 1994

5. In Scotland, over 90 different sports, from athletics and rugby to shinty and pentanque, have benefited from Lottery funding

6. Over 300,000 Lottery grants have been given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment since 1994. But they all have one thing in common, they make a positive difference to communities across the UK, helping the lives of local people and improving the places they enjoy

7. Over half of all Lottery grants are for under £5,000, helping local projects make a big difference to people in their communities

8. Over £1/2billion of Lottery funding has been invested in Scotland's heritage

9. Elite Scottish athletes like Sir Chris Hoy, David Florence and Libby Clegg have benefited from Lottery funding, helping Scotland’s Olympians and Paralympians to their most successful medal haul in 100 years.

10. Over £10 billion of National Lottery funding has gone to projects that benefit children and young people.

For more information/photography/interviews please contact: Sarah Twyman at the Red Consultancy on 0207 025 6525 or email: sarah.twyman@redconsultancy.com