England and Tottenham Hotspur player Bethany England joined a session run for people living with cancer

Bethany England (centre) with users of Southbury Leisure Centre (credit Tottenham Hotspur Foundation)

Tottenham Hotspur women’s captain Bethany England has paid a visit to an Enfield leisure centre where she joined a fitness session for people living with cancer.

‘Move 4 U’ is a programme of twelve physical activity sessions for local residents who have had a cancer diagnosis in the last five years and is run by Tottenham Hotspur Foundation at Southbury Leisure Centre.

The programme has been nominated by the London Football Awards in the category of ‘community project of the year’.

Sessions are run both one-to-one and in groups, as well as online, and are tailored according to the needs of each individual. They typically involve light stretching and circuit-based exercises, with equipment such as dumbbells and kettlebells. Once complete, participants are supported to continue being active through referrals to open gym classes, yoga sessions and other group activities.

Lioness star England visited the session to take part in the activities and hear the stories of the participants. One of those who was very excited by the visit was Spurs fan Emily Candler, who joined the programme last year after being diagnosed with cancer in February 2020.

Emily said: “Finding Move 4 U, with it being Spurs, my people, was transformational for me. It’s genuinely felt like the only upside to getting diagnosed with cancer, helping boost my physical and mental health. I don’t know where I’d be without it.”

Speaking after the session, England said: “I’ve loved today’s Move 4 U session, I think it is an amazing programme that the foundation are helping these people with by getting them moving, in both group and individual activities. It is shining a light that these people are able to achieve their goals and carry on living their life.

“I think it is vital that the community offers these things because not everyone knows that access is always there, and obviously being the foundation it is free to attend, which takes the pressure off people. I think it is amazing what the foundation is doing, because without that a lot of people would struggle.

“The participants were great, they put me in the hot seat with a few questions! They’re amazing, they’re the ones fighting the battle every day, and I couldn’t be prouder to meet them and hear their own experiences.”

Adam Millar, foundation programme coordinator, said: “Move 4 You is about building people’s confidence to help them be physically active, manage their health and hopefully experience fewer side effects of treatment.

“We’re really excited to have been nominated in the London Football Awards and it was great to have Bethany along today to see exactly why. Our participants really enjoyed spending time with her.”

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.