Virgin Active is the official health club for the Nottingham Panthers. The partnership started back in 2007 and over the past 4 years Catherine Whittle (of Virgin Active Nottingham) has run many successful events to promote the men’s ice hockey team in the local community.

Pre-season training events, meet and greet evenings, and a 2011 calendar have all been a hit with members. Catherine also organised a recent fitness challenge between the Panthers, the local fire service and our Virgin Active Personal Trainers, which got great community support and local media coverage.

The competition was fierce from start to finish. Ali West reigned supreme in the Bleep test, Jonny Peck proved himself ViPR™ drag King, Harley Collins dominated the firemen’s lift race, Stephen Westgate won on the rower, while Ricky Berry took the bike challenge, and Iain Mackenzie topped everyone in the Marine’s Fitness challenge of push ups, sit ups and pull ups.

In the end, our Virgin Active team tied with the Panthers in first place, so a decidedly unhealthy decider was agreed... The first person to polish off a cookie, chocolate bar and pint of milk was the winner overall – and our Virgin Active trainers gulped their way to a glorious finish.

Events like these are great for building relationships with potential and existing members and boosting community spirit. Virgin Active Nottingham got coverage on East Midlands Today on BBC1 and also on the ice hockey show on Sky Sports 4, and we look forward to more action-packed events over the next year.

Well done to Catherine and the rest of the Nottingham team!