Fife Sports and Leisure Trust’s Customer Highlights puts a people-above-profit belief into practice. The mini-docuseries gives people space to share their experiences in their own words and shows the social value community leisure creates. Since February 2025, it has grown from 4 stories to 26. Bob’s is one of its most powerful.
Nine years ago, Bob experienced a nervous breakdown and survived 3 suicide attempts. The impact on his mental health left him unable to work. He was later diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure and reached 21 stone. Fearing a heart attack or stroke, Bob joined Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre over 3 years ago and committed to changing his life.
Through exercise, running and changes to his diet, Bob lost more than 9 stone, put his diabetes into remission and brought his blood pressure under control. His sleep and mental clarity improved. He has recovered from sepsis, heart failure and pneumonia. Doctors told him his fitness was critical to his survival:
“If I hadn’t got myself fit when I got sick, I would have died… It saved my life.”
Michael Woods became central to that recovery. Bob describes it as his “home away from home”, a safe space where he can take off the mask, relax, exercise and see friends. Staff know Bob, understand what he has experienced and treat him as an individual. When he collapsed at the venue while recovering from sepsis and heart failure, staff member Claire remained beside him until the ambulance arrived.
“It was really reassuring that people actually do care about you.”
That care and belonging helped Bob sustain his progress through serious setbacks. He continues to train, discovered a love of running and has completed 5K events, including races at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival, while raising money for charity. He speaks of finding resilience he did not know he possessed and remains determined “never to stop, never to give up”.
Customer Highlights helped Bob turn his experience outwards. He is now a proud advocate, has formed friendships with other featured customers and recently spoke to staff about the campaign and how community leisure helped save his life. His hope is that his story helps someone else take their first step.
Bob’s story brings people above profit to life through better physical and mental health, resilience, friendship, purpose and inspiring others. It makes social value visible. His story opened our 2026 Seriously Social campaign, setting a strong human tone from Day 1. Fife Sports and Leisure Trust’s content accounted for 11% of overall campaign engagement, showing how authentic local stories can influence the wider sector. Community Leisure UK invited the Trust to present its approach to other organisations.
Bob joined hoping to prevent his health deteriorating. Today, he is healthier, connected to a community and helping others believe change is possible. His journey shows that putting people first means providing the relationships, trust and safe spaces through which people can rebuild their lives.
