UP CLOSE: With LED's Vanessa Loader – helping the Axminster community get back to health and fitness

Axminster Nub News aims to be supportive to every element of the community from businesses, shops and people to charities, clubs and sports organisations. As part of this, we regularly profile local individuals, businesses and groups in our 'Up Close' features.

This week, it is the turn of Vanessa Loader, health referral lead at Axminster and Seaton Leisure Centres, and one of the longest-serving employees at LED Leisure.

You can also watch our interview in full in the video above!

Vanessa Loader has worked for LED Leisure for 32 years. Having first started part-time as a cleaner at Axminster Leisure Centre when her children were young, Vanessa developed her interest in health and fitness and worked her way up, moving on to the reception desk and then qualifying as a fitness instructor.

Now she is LED's health referral lead for both Axminster and Seaton, helping members of the community get back to health and fitness after illness or injury.

"I find that's what I get more out of now, working with people and helping people with their health," she said.

Vanessa works closely with local doctors, nurses and physiotherapists who often refer their patents to her. She then supervises them in the gym, carrying out a full assessment and creating a tailor-made programme depending on their level of health and fitness.

She said: "A lot of it is rehab, especially over the last couple of years when people have not been able to come into the centres as much and people are now looking at ways to get back to fitness, because the healthier they are the better they can fight these viruses, so I think it's quite important that we offer these services to the community.

"We try to get them into regular exercise, depending on what conditions they have, and then for some people they continue to use the facilities and enjoy the classes we offer."

During our interview in the busy Axminster Leisure Centre, one of Vanessa's clients who was recovering from cancer spoke about how comfortable she felt during the sessions.

"I'm so confident with Vanessa as I know what she tells me to do won't damage me, whereas if I went out around the village I might collapse or be on my own," she said.

"You have got someone here telling you hat you can do, and if you want to stop you can stop to have a drink.

"You're just scared to go out on your own because you don't know what your capable of, but here, she's going to tell me!"

Vanessa added: "That's the main motivation why I do it really. It's a rewarding job, it's nice to see people help themselves, to get them motivated and then they can continue on doing exercises, if not in the centres then at home.

"One lady told me how much it's helped her in so many ways, mentally, physically, everything. It's nice because they come in a group so it's quite social as well, people have been isolated for so long."

Speaking about working for LED Leisure, Vanessa said she enjoyed working with her colleagues and how they supported each other as a team to continue to offer health and fitness service to the community.

As well as her role as health referral lead, Vanessa continues to offer classes such as Body Conditioning, For Ball and Dance Fit, which fits in with her other interest of performing on the local stage, having been in several productions at Axminster Guildhall.

You can watch our full interview with Vanessa in the video above or find out more about her services at www.ledleisure.co.uk