A chance connection between tenants at the North East BIC has led to a life-changing transformation and sparked a powerful new partnership.
When Laura Gillespie, Managing Director of Gillespie Recruitment, met Kelly Brougham and Amy Swan, co-founders of Active Families North East, at a networking event at the BIC, she didn’t expect it to alter the course of her personal and professional life.
But within weeks of chatting to Kelly and Amy and finding out about the Community Interest Company’s activity sessions, she was taking part in an ESCAPE-pain class – a programme designed to help people manage long-term conditions. And she describes the impact as “nothing short of incredible”.
For more than two years, Laura had been battling chronic knee pain, limited mobility, and a loss of confidence that affected her daily life.
“I’d gone from being this really loud, confident person to feeling like a shadow of my former self.” Laura said. “I couldn’t lift my legs without pain. Even walking into a room felt daunting so going into that first session had me terrified. But the team and the people in the class were amazing.
“Week by week, something changed. My strength grew, my mobility improved and my confidence came back. Now I feel like I’ve got me back.”
Since joining the classes in Washington in June, Laura has experienced significant improvements meaning she no longer relies on pain medication. She has new energy levels, and is planning to be driving again by the summer.
“I went in the hope of relieving some of my pain but it’s totally transformed life for me and my family,” Laura added. “My mindset has shifted from endurance to enjoyment. I used to just collapse after work and be straight into my pyjamas. Now I actively want to do things like gardening, getting outdoors and am now doing additional classes like Pilates.
“At work I had started to withdraw from networking events. But now I’m hosting my own events at the BIC and getting out and about again – and am loving it.”
Inspired by her own transformation, Laura has become a passionate advocate for Active Families, adopting the community organisation as Gillespie Recruitment’s official good cause. She is now using her business network to help raise awareness, make introductions and is providing sponsorship for a wellness event later this year.
Active Families delivers around 30 programmes a week across the North East, supporting more than 700 people to improve their health, wellbeing and confidence through inclusive activity sessions.
Amy Swan, co-founder, said: “Laura’s story represents everything we stand for. Our work goes far beyond physical activity – it’s about belonging, confidence and supporting people to enjoy life again.
“Having someone like Laura champion what we do, not because she was asked to but because of the difference it makes, is incredibly powerful. And it’s all down to a chat and cup of tea we shared at the BIC.”
The collaboration reflects the community spirit of the BIC, where shared spaces, informal conversations, and tenant networks and events often spark new partnerships.
“As a BIC tenant for six years, I’ve always loved the community here,” Laura added. “But this experience has shown me just how much magic can happen when the right people meet at the right time. Active Families has changed my life – supporting them is the least I can do.”