Vicki Garbutt - Sussex Business Hero

Keeping Sussex active through COVID-19

Step aside Joe Wicks and meet Vicki Garbutt, Group Exercise Coordinator at Wave Leisure Trust.

When Wave had to close the doors to its seventeen leisure facilities, there was one question that needed answering. How do we keep our communities active when they’re at home?

Vicki jumped at the chance to share live workouts on Facebook for the Trust’s 9,000 members. The Facebook group ‘Live Life with Wave’ was set up and within days and had members working out in their living rooms and encouraging other members of the group to stay healthy.

Cat James, one of Wave’s members, said: “The online and live workouts are brilliant, and the daily messages and top tips are really motivational. Thank you Wave for keeping me and my family moving.”

The group is now open to all key workers who can access the timetable of live and filmed classes for free and it’s proving wonders not just for members’ activity levels, but also their mental health during a time in which we could all struggle. Vicki is now bringing on a new instructor and adding four more classes to the schedule to keep everyone motivated.

Duncan Kerr, Chief Executive at Wave, said: “Vicki is working tirelessly to create new, engaging and fun workouts for a range of abilities and ages and is helping to ensure that Wave continues to inspire active lifestyles throughout this pandemic.”