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Gloucestershire Business News

College course helps ex-offenders start fitness career

South Gloucestershire and Stroud (SGS) College has started a course to help ex-offenders and former addicts start a career.

The In2Sport programme will help students get qualifications that can be used to get into the fitness industry.

Speaking to the BBC, Arthur Furness of SGS College, said: "The most valuable thing to me is that they come to college and they are students. They're not ex-offenders, they're not coming from rehab. They are students."

In2Sport gives students qualifications to become a fitness instructor and helps them develop confidence in the workplace.

Megan Knowelden of SGS College told the BBC: "The gym in prison is a really essential part of day-to-day life. It helps them build structure, it helps them to build routine. The gym is the most important part of their life for that period of time."

Many of the students won't have been in education since school - and a lot of them would have had their education disrupted by being kicked out of school.

Student Kyle said: "It's given me a lot more drive. I've got a lot more interest in things I didn't know had anything to do with the body or working out or going to the gym. It's given me structure. It's showing me how to look after myself."

A spokesperson for SGS College said they hope the government-funded programme will grow in the future.

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