After seeing the response to our free community boot camps, we also brought the same idea to Yateley.
This newspaper feature from September 2015 covered the launch of our Yateley sessions and the wider goal behind them: getting local families moving, enjoying exercise together and making fitness feel more accessible.
The sessions were run by JW Training (My old company) and took place on Saturday mornings at the Red Cross Centre, with the aim of creating something that was free, welcoming and genuinely open to all ages.
Fitness that families could do together
One of the things that mattered most to us was making the sessions family orientated.
We didn’t want to create something that only felt suitable for people who were already fit or confident exercising. The aim was to build sessions where adults and children could take part together, enjoy themselves and leave having had a positive experience with exercise.
As I explained in the article, many people are put off exercise because they assume it will be hard, intimidating or not for them.
Our approach was about helping people realise that fitness can be moving, fun and something the whole family can be involved in.
That was why the sessions included games and activities alongside more traditional exercise. We wanted people to associate being active with enjoyment, not dread.
Building something for the community
The Yateley boot camps were also part of a much bigger picture.
This wasn’t only about running workouts in a park or field. It was about trying to contribute something positive to the local community.
In the article, I spoke about wanting to help thousands of people get active with their families, enjoy exercise and become more involved in their communities.
That broader community angle was a big part of what made these projects so rewarding.
People came not only for the exercise, but also for the atmosphere. Parents, children and local families were able to spend time together, meet other people and be part of something positive on a Saturday morning.
A strong response from local families
The response was encouraging from the start.
The article reported that around 100 people had signed up before the first session, with another 100 in Bracknell on Sundays, and around 40 people attending the first Yateley session itself.
For a free local community initiative, that was a great sign that there was genuine appetite for accessible family fitness.
It also reinforced something I’d already come to believe: many people do want to exercise, but sometimes they just need the right environment and a little encouragement to get started.
Keeping fitness enjoyable
One of the things I liked most about the sessions was that they didn’t feel overly serious.
Yes, people were moving, working and burning energy, but they were also playing, laughing and engaging with each other.
The article mentions that the warm-up for the first session included games such as bulldog and duck duck goose, which probably says a lot about the sort of atmosphere we were trying to create.
The idea was simple: if people enjoy the experience, they are far more likely to come back and keep being active.
That applies to adults just as much as children.
Looking back
This Yateley project is still a part of my career I look back on very positively.
Over the years, my coaching work has included private personal training, sport performance, media work and community projects, but initiatives like this remain especially meaningful because of the wider impact they had.
It wasn’t just about sets, reps or body composition.
It was about giving local people a free opportunity to move more, connect with others and enjoy exercise as a family.
Looking back now, it’s another reminder that some of the most rewarding work in fitness happens when you take it beyond the gym and into the community.
Joseph Webb.
