GYMTOPIA SERIES
On the ball D
uring early April, I opened an email from Anna Rounaja, CEO of the Hukka fitness club in Finland. I had met her
during 2013, when I was presenting Gymtopia to a group of European club operators in London. I was there to pitch the idea that clubs with an altruistic mindset could build powerful connections with their communities. Seven months later, Rounaja was writing to share a wonderfully simple story of how her club’s used squash balls were helping children with autism to better cope with their disability.
A basket of balls Among the extensive facilities enjoyed by members at the family-operated Hukka club are its four squash courts.
With more than 3,500 members and a thriving squash community, the club gets through more than 2,500 balls each year; with the club soon celebrating its 40th birthday, that
As part of Health Club Management’s Gymtopia series, Ray Algar reports on a project that uses simple squash balls to help autistic children
Gymtopia – a place where clubs do social good
Gymtopia was conceived by founder and chief engagement officer Ray Algar, who believes the global health and fitness industry has enormous influence and potential to do good in the world, reaching beyond its immediate customers. The idea of Gymtopia is simple: to curate and spread remarkable stories in which the fitness industry uses its influence to reach out and support an external community in need. It was created with the generous support of five organisations: Companhia Athletica, Gantner Technologies, Les Mills, Retention Management and The Gym Group. Read more stories and submit your own:
www.Gymtopia.org
means a lot of used balls which historically were simply thrown away, eventually finding their way to landfill. One day, Rounaja asked members
to begin leaving used balls in a basket next to the courts, thinking there must be a new use they could be put to – a second, useful purpose. Rounaja developed a few ideas, but was seeking a unique use for these balls and was unconvinced she had yet unlocked that new exciting purpose.
Enter Facebook Hukka has been an enthusiastic user of Facebook since August 2010 and has 5,660 people following the club. So Rounaja posted pictures of the basket of balls and set members and staff a challenge: to create a great new purpose for the balls.
The ‘ball blankets’ have been shown to help relax and soothe autistic children
Hukka members get through more than 2,500 squash balls each year 54 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital June 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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