How team spirit shaped DoingOurBit
As we reflect on the 2024 Paris Olympics and look forward to the Paralympics, what better time to remind ourselves of the encouragement, togetherness and optimism created as individuals and teams give their all.
It was refreshing to hear so many athletes speak about their achievements as being a team effort, acknowledging the many people in their professional and personal networks whose efforts, support, skill and love helped them fulfil their sporting dream on the world stage.
So often it takes a great team to back an individual’s vision. That’s certainly how DoingOurBit came into being with generous partners working in the leisure industry backing Julie Davis’ great idea to offer free workouts to NHS staff when the COVID 2020 pandemic hit.
At that time, the leisure industry – like many others – pivoted and took their services online: many of our clients found themselves working round the clock to provide their health and wellness services and motivation to people in a virtual setting.
A top priority for our clients was to ensure that not only were their services delivered professionally but also safely. When we were asked to support Julie’s plan to provide online workouts to her NHS colleagues, we were moved by her generosity of spirit but very conscious that any online fitness provision had to be of the highest quality and safety checked. We immediately turned to our longstanding client Active IQ whose reputation for upholding high standards among PTs and exercise instructors is second to none. Despite their own increased workload as the pandemic started, they took time out to check every minute of every fitness video.
Another crucial element for Doing Our Bit to succeed was being user friendly. There could be no tech barriers stopping NHS and social care staff from getting on board. fibodo responded brilliantly to the brief and pulled together a smooth-running system for people to access online videos, grouped by workout type.
To keep people motivated and ensure all levels and fitness preferences were accommodated, we needed a wealth of workouts and top-quality instructors. With Study Active on the team we were able to spread the word among trusted fitness providers and partners.
Here at Action Group, we provided project management support, engaged our own contacts and attracted media coverage of DoingOurBit which, in turn, brought support from many more suppliers and trainers.
Together, the steering group moved at pace to get the quality-checked workouts uploaded as soon as safely possible. While keen to address the immediate demand, we kept in mind the need to build a platform that could scale. Thank goodness for that – as we quickly saw interest from other NHS trusts wishing to sign up. Within weeks we had over 50 trusts signed up and within a few months it topped 100, giving access to over 500,000 NHS and social care workers. The platform held up well but has since needed two transformations to the one you see today.
DoingOurBit is all about togetherness and partnerships. The perfect example of the whole being bigger than the sum of its parts, DoingOurBIt simply wouldn’t exist without terrific team spirit and great sporting attitude.
We look back with pride on those first six hectic weeks that saw Julie’s idea transform into the first iteration of DoingOurBIt with the Legacy Videos you see on the platform reminding us of where we started and WHY we started.
We are every bit as proud today of the much bigger, more intuitive and wider-reaching platform. App, live-streamed and in-person activity opportunities now on offer to NHS and social care staff.
It has been an honour to support DoingOurBit since its inception and we look forward to bringing on board many more partners who also wish to do their bit by providing free health, fitness and wellness programmes. We’re committed to seeing DoingOurBit thrive in this post-Covid world and have no doubt we have the team to ensure its continued success.