A Teesside-based wellbeing entrepreneur is celebrating picking up new work after getting creative and ramping up her product offering.
Bethany Ainsley runs three health, wellness and fitness ventures from the Wynyard Business Park, and had feared the worst when the 海角视频 was plunged into its first coronavirus lockdown in March 2020.
But having risen to the Covid-19 challenge and reshaped her businesses, Ms Ainsley says she’s busier than ever.
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The multi-award-winning businesswoman founded social enterprise Nuvo Wellbeing in 2008, which helps people and communities feel positive, be active and live well, and is also behind ActivCare Coaching, which works with care professionals to develop the skills and confidence they need to enhance the wellbeing of adults in their care, as well as OptiMe, which drives employees towards a happy, healthy and fulfilled lifestyle both in and out of the workplace.
While admitting the past 12 months have been challenging, she said: “I feel we are in a good position now. Things could have been very different, but we have worked hard to really shift how we deliver our services, especially with regards to Nuvo Wellbeing, which we have taken digital and in the process picked up new clients in Wales and Essex.
“ActivCare and OptiMe have always been virtual, but even here we have adapted to the rapidly changing circumstances and clients’ needs. In the case of ActivCare we picked up a new client in New Zealand just as we were going into lockdown and they were coming out.
“Already having that digital presence really helped. Sales in the US and Canada have followed. “I feel we are very well placed going forwards with the partners we are working with.”
Ms Ainsley said before lockdown, Nuvo Wellbeing was engaging with hundreds of people every week through its classes, but attendance had already begun to dwindle as many of the beneficiaries are classified as vulnerable.
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But by moving online, she said she had been able to successfully pivot the community interest company to navigate the pandemic.
A new membership scheme - Feel Good with Nuvo, which enables participants to get active and achieve wellbeing in the comfort of their own home – and Wellbeing Bubble packages for those looking to become fitter and for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions, were also launched.
Nuvo Wellbeing has also been working with Public Health England, NE Youth and Sport England to create a range of digital services to support suicide prevention, children and schools, and post-natal women.
Ms Ainsley set-up OptiMe in 2019, and said with the increase in people working remotely and the new associated stresses, it meant that “wellbeing support is more important than ever to both employees and employers,” to help combat feelings of isolation, signs of burnout, financial troubles and physical distress.
During the pandemic, OptiMe had pledged to support 100 key workers.
Ms Ainsley said: “As a result, we have been supporting a number of schools, including Wynyard Primary. Other clients include Racz Group, Costa, LastMile Logistics and Dominos.
“Last month we delivered workshops to Acas staff as part of their Wellbeing Week and have an on-going relationship with Durham University Law School to provide support to both staff and students.”