SUPER slimmers at an Ellesmere Port community group are clocking up the miles after collectively shedding the equivalent weight to three MINI Coopers since the start of this year.

Slimmers from the three Wolverham Slimming World Groups are stepping out for charity this month to celebrate losing 7,827.5lb since January 2019, a staggering 559st 1.5lb combined weight loss.

In celebration of Slimming World’s 50th Golden Anniversary year, members are taking part in a brand new fundraising campaign for 2019 – the Golden Body Magic Challenge.

The event invites members to complete 50 miles during August, covering around 10,000 miles between them, which is the equivalent of walking the English coastline one and a quarter times.

Members are choosing their own preferred activities to rack up the miles, such as walking, running, swimming or cycling to reach the total and the group aims to raise awareness of how activity can be beneficial for health and mental well-being, as well as overall fitness.

As part of the Golden Body Magic Challenge, Wolverham members, who meet weekly at Wolverham Community Centre, Cheltenham Road, on Tuesdays or Friday mornings, will aim to cover 1.8 miles a day, or as many miles they are capable of, as every step counts.

Wolverham Slimming World Group consultant Chris Robinson-Lloyd said: "I opened up the challenge to include as many members as possible with varying activity abilities and disabilities, to enable everyone to contribute if they so wished, to ensure no member felt excluded.

"Some members are far exceeding 1-2 miles and others contributing with what they can manage, each day for 28 days.

"The group will be taking part in return for sponsorship for Cancer Research UK – and the Ellesmere port slimmers can’t wait to smash their own personal activity goals.

"I’m so proud of my members who have set themselves the challenge of increasing their levels of activity this month.

"Some members are aiming for 50 miles and others double or trebling it. It’s such a special time in the Slimming World calendar with it being our 50th golden birthday year and to be sharing the celebrations by taking part in this huge new campaign feels so exciting.

"With our Body Magic activity programme, members learn that getting active doesn’t have to be joining the gym or running marathons.

"It’s walking the kids to school, doing the gardening, hitting the dancefloor - anything that raises the heart rate a little all counts, even wheelchair activities count.

"And any activity which boosts distance covered will help our members reach their 50 miles or personal goals. It’s all about starting off gently and then building up until activity becomes a part of a daily routine that’s enjoyable too.

"I’m sure my members will inspire more people in Ellesmere Port to get active and improve their health, while also helping to raise awareness of the link between obesity and cancer.

"The money raised will go towards an amazing cause and one my members feel very passionate about. We’d love to support Cancer Research UK’s life-saving research into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancer incredible work.

"Anyone who would like to take part just needs to come along to the Wolverham Slimming World group to find out more."

Member Gail Doyle, from the Tuesday 7.30am Group session, has lost 3st 3.5lbs since joining the group in November 2018, and can’t wait to take part in the Golden Body Magic challenge.

After recently achieving her goal of climbing Snowdon alongside her son and daughter-in-law in July for her 55th birthday, she completed it and felt totally amazing after it.

She said: "I’ll be aiming to cover 10-20k steps a day/every day throughout August, which should mean I get above and beyond 100 miles easily by the end of August.

"If you’d asked me to do that when I joined the group in November 2018, I wouldn’t have believed you – walking even a mile/a flight of stairs left me breathless and just felt impossible! However, thanks to the filling and tasty food I’m eating and the fact I’m losing weight each week, I have so much more energy now and I’m ready to smash this challenge!

"At my group we started talking about easy ways to fit more activity into our day and I soon realised how much more I could do just by making tweaks to my daily routine.

"Parking the car further from work, walking with friends instead of going to the pub or for a coffee, playing with the grandkids, taking the stairs instead of the lift – it’s amazing what can make a huge difference when it comes to step count and I’m looking forward to finding new ways to fit steps in.

"Throughout my journey the support at the group has been amazing, and I wouldn’t be doing this without my fellow members.

"My Slimming World group has made anything feel possible – I feel empowered!

"Each week I stay to share tips and ideas and get so much encouragement, support and inspiration to achieve my goals. It’s the best spent hour of my week. I leave the group feeling full of confidence and ready to take on the world, and I always look forward to seeing all my friends in group the next week to find out how they’ve got on too, we are one big supportive family and I love it."

For more information about Wolverham Slimming World group or the Golden Body Magic Challenge event, contact Christine on 07974 145061 or pop along to the group, held every Tuesday at 7.30am, 9.30am, 5pm or 7pm and also Fridays at 9.30am at Wolverham Community Centre. Find out more at @Wolverhamslimmingworldgroup or on Twitter @ChrisRL_SW.