Gill’s charity exercise class will raise money for stoma charity

A charity exercise class is to be held at Willowburn Sports and Leisure Centre in Alnwick on Sunday 24th July with all the proceeds going to a stoma charity.

The event is being run by Active Northumberland to support local lady Gill Castle who is promoting swimming and exercising with a stoma.

The class will take place in the main hall at 10am on Sunday 24th and anyone taking part in the class is asked to give a donation to the charity.

You don’t need to be a member of Active Northumberland to join in, but there are only 40 spaces so anyone wanting to take part will need to book via the Active Northumberland app where the session is listed as a free class.

The Pound exercise class will consist of a combination of drumming, cardio and strength training with some yoga and Pilates. It promises to be a rock out – work out using rip sticks to give you a full body workout.

Gill Castle had an ostomy following a difficult childbirth ten years ago and is aiming to dispel some myths about exercise and swimming with an ostomy and to encourage others in a similar situation to be more active, if they want to.

Ostomy surgery is a potentially life-saving procedure that allows bodily waste to pass through a surgically created opening or stoma on the abdomen into a pouch or ostomy bag on the outside of the body.

Mark Warnes, chief executive of Active Northumberland said: “Gill has taken her personal experience and used it positively to champion the benefits of exercise and to inspire others.”

“We are keen to help her promote the message that having this hidden disability shouldn’t stop you doing anything you want to do.”

Gill is also keen wild water swimmer and frequently swims off the beautiful Northumberland coast. This love of open water swimming has set her on course for her next challenge, which is to swim the English Channel in 2023, and to be the first woman with a stoma to do so.