It’s 2023 and the new year is the perfect time to set new intentions, start new ventures and create new opportunities. It is a good time to revise goals, think about change and ways to improve our lives and the lives of others.
While health, lifestyle and career are often at the top of many people’s list, we have put together a top 5 list to create change in our own lives and to also make a difference in the community.
Health and fitness
At the top of many people’s list for new year, is a new health and fitness regime. There are lots of opportunities to stay fit and healthy around Ealing, whether you are starting out on new fitness goals or just need to tone-up, there is plenty on offer.
Starting from just once a week, or 15 minutes a day, you can build-up to your optimum fitness with the range of leisure, sports and fitness centres in Ealing. Facilities include swimming pools, gyms, dance studios and outdoor sports grounds, all designed to accommodate younger, older people and people with disabilities. As well as a vast number of outdoor parks and open spaces to choose from.
StayActive4Life also offer classes that focus on strength, balance and flexibility. Contact them via email at admin@stayactive4life.co.uk or call 07715170207.
Active travel
Walking is the easiest way to get more active. It’s a simple and free way to improve your mental and physical wellbeing and can easily be added into your daily routine. Start small and consider walking one leg of your trip to meet friends and family, to the shops or make it part of your commute and build it up from there. Share your views on ways to get more active here.
If you want to get on your bike but need a confidence boost or help getting your bike roadworthy, then Ealing Council’s Dr Bike sessions may be perfect for you. The service offers basic cycle maintenance and handy tips, with trained mechanics on-hand to carry out minor repairs on the spot and give advice on looking after your bike to keep you riding all year round. Sessions take place in the weekends across the borough.
Reducing the number of cars on our roads in favour of walking, cycling, scooting and running can help cut the harmful emissions that contribute towards the climate crisis and air pollution. Find out more about transport and parking here.
New career
If you are looking to kick-start a new career in 2023, whether through starting a new course, joining a job club, or help with preparing for interviews, contact Ealing’s employment, learning and skills team who can point you in the right direction.
Find out more about Learn Ealing courses here, which include subjects from customer service to health care, education and hospitality. The first CV and cover letter writing workshop of the year runs on Tuesday, 17 January.
While the team can assist with everything from starting a new venture to interview preparation and up-skilling, they can also match you with the right job or apprenticeship, connecting you to various employment and training programmes.
Head over to the Work Ealing website to find out more.
Recycle well
New year, new recycling habits? Our borough has one of the highest recycling rates in London but more of us can do more by getting into the habit of checking to see if it can be recycled before binning any rubbish.
Recycling is one of the easiest things you can do that will make a big difference to tackle climate action. You can start using our kerbside collections service or simply using less single-use plastics in and around the home. Food waste, textiles as well as small electricals can be recycled too. For more guidance on what goes in which bin, visit the Ealing recycling hub here.
Community Champions
The most popular new year’s resolutions are to improve health, from exercising more to eating healthier and losing weight. This year, why not extend your new year’s resolution to help improve the health and wellbeing of your friends and family and your community. Becoming a Community Champion is one way to do this.
To find out more about Community Champions, what your role will be and what’s in it for you, visit the Community Champions hub on the Ealing Council website.
Make a difference in 2023
The new year is about a fresh start, but most importantly thinking about our surrounding areas and the communities we live in, getting out and about with active travel is one way, as is recycling responsibly to enhance the environment we live in. While there are lots of opportunities for volunteer work in Ealing, Community Champions could be a very good place to start, read more about Community Champions here.
