"Survivors are told that exercise will help them with their mental health, but many of them don't know where to start. I realised we need a trauma-informed, accessible gym space, with no financial barrier, where people can learn without the anxieties of being in a busy environment."
Support worker and coach Sam McPherson launched fitness group Uplifted, a body-positive "safe space" for survivors of trauma and the LGBTQ community in 2020.
Participants can learn how to lift weights, take part in hula hooping and yoga classes and more in free sessions at the gym in the city's Cumberland Street.
