Cardigan Fields gym challenges Leeds members to power global school meals drive
A popular gym at Cardigan Fields is urging Leeds residents to put extra purpose behind their workouts as it joins a worldwide campaign to provide school meals for children in need.
The Bannatyne Health Club in Kirkstall Road is taking part in Technogym’s Let’s Move & Donate Food initiative, a global movement aiming to generate one million meals through exercise.
This year’s campaign, part of the 2026 Let’s Move for a Better World drive, is being delivered in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme. The idea is simple: the more members move, the more meals are donated.
Every session completed on connected Technogym equipment produces digital points known as MOVEs. For every 2,000 MOVEs logged, one school meal is provided to a child who relies on that support.
Paul Axford, general manager at Bannatyne Health Club Cardigan Fields, said the scheme allows Leeds gym-goers to support a global cause simply by sticking to their regular routines.
“We are incredibly proud to be supporting Technogym in this year’s Let’s Move & Donate Food campaign,” he said. “As a club, we are always looking for ways to make a positive difference, not just to our members’ health and wellbeing, but to the wider community too.”
He added that the connection between everyday exercise and international impact has struck a chord with members.
“Every workout completed by our members will help contribute towards providing vital school meals to children who need them most,” Paul said. “It’s inspiring to know that something as simple as a gym session can have such a meaningful global impact.”
While some fitness initiatives focus on rankings or internal competition, this year’s campaign is centred on collective effort and shared responsibility.
“This challenge is less about competition and more about impact and purpose,” he explained. “Let’s all come together, get moving and make a real difference to children who are in need. Every MOVE truly counts.”
Duncan Bannatyne, chairman and chief executive of the Bannatyne Group, said he expected strong backing from Leeds members. “This is a brilliant initiative from Technogym and I know that, as always, our members will step up to the challenge,” he said.
Ben Sandham, Technogym’s country manager, said the campaign demonstrates how the fitness sector can translate wellbeing into tangible social change.
“The global Let’s Move & Donate Food initiative transforms physical activity into a powerful force for good,” he said. “Through our partnership with the UN World Food Programme, our ambition is to donate 1,000,000 school meals to children who need them most.”
Leeds members can take part simply by completing their usual workouts on Technogym equipment during the campaign period, with each MOVE helping to push the global total closer to its million-meal target.