AN ILKLEY volunteer is celebrating 14 years of keeping the town’s residents fit and fiesty.

Brenda Murch has spent the last 14 years working as a volunteer at the Clarke Foley Centre in Ilkley running fitness classes twice a week. Winner of the Ilkley Parish Council 2015 Award for Contribution to Sport her keep fit classes continue to keep attendees fit and feisty in body and in mind.

Originally a secretary by profession Brenda took up keep-fit as a hobby.

She was encouraged to train as an instructor with the Keep Fit Association and has been getting people moving ever since.

Whilst the aim of the sessions is to improve mobility and keep joints moving Brenda’s sessions have an important social aspect.

Partner work encourages attendees to get to know each other and talk. In addition, she uses routines and footwork to exercise the brain.

All this is set to a mixture of old and new music which keeps the sessions lively and fun.

Brenda has been an Ilkley resident for many years but hails from the North East.

Her dedication is such that she still travels up to North Shields once a week to teach a class she has been leading for 40 years! Held at a local community centre the session is so popular that she regularly gets up to 40 people attending.

Classes at the Clarke Foley are not quite so large but well attended by a committed set of regulars.

Attendees include both men and women but although Brenda has tried, she has not yet been able to persuade her husband to join in!

Brenda’s classes take place at the Clarke Foley on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons and new people are always welcome.

If you’d like to find out more visit www.clarkefoley.org.uk or call 01943 607016