Everyone Active encourages the older generation to get active
This October and November, across South Derbyshire, Everyone Active is encouraging a greater number of over 60s to become physically and mentally active, with the launch of its Age is Just a Number campaign.
Now in its fifth year, the campaign celebrates the senior demographic by showcasing their fitness stories and proving what can be achieved by staying active into later life.
It launched on Sunday, October 5 – also known as Silver Sunday, the national day dedicated to celebrating older people – and will run until Monday, November 17.
Green Bank Leisure Centre in Swadlincote and Etwall Leisure Centre, run by award-winning operator Everyone Active in partnership with South Derbyshire District Council, are encouraging the older generation to visit their local centre and enjoy the wide range of activities on offer.
Everyone Active supports older people to exercise across the country throughout the year, with regular dedicated senior activity sessions already seeing more than 20,000 attendances each month.
To help older people to get active, we’ve spoken to some of our local senior members and colleagues and heard just how transformative exercise can be. Whether it’s for weight loss, recovery from injury, improved mobility, fitness or social reasons, there’s so much that exercise can do to improve quality of life.
Marg Leedham, 66, leads three group cycling classes and a senior circuits class every week at Green Bank Leisure Centre.
A GP Exercise Referral Instructor for Everyone Active, Marg has been teaching group cycling for 25 years. She also attends the gym five days a week to keep herself at the top of her fitness game.
Reflecting on her time as an instructor, Marg admits she still gets the same adrenaline fix as she always did.
“You’d think I would be fed up of it by now, but I just love it,” she said. “I thought when I was in my 50s that when I got to 60 that would be it for my teaching, but of course 60 has come and gone.
“I have 70 and 80-year-olds that do my group cycling class. There’s quite a few who are older, so there’s no excuse is there? I love it, I get excited about it like a child.
“Green Bank is very friendly. It’s a proper community leisure centre so there’s all ages, sizes, shapes and abilities. You get the buzz and the endorphins, you get strength, shape and definition. It’s just a high.”
29 October 2025