Worksop member wins luxury Azores holiday after referral

A Worksop fitness enthusiast is heading off on the trip of a lifetime after a simple recommendation to a friend landed her a luxury adventure holiday.

Heather Bembridge, 57, a member at Bannatyne Health Club & Spa on Retford Road, has won a four-night break for two to the Azores after referring a colleague to join the club.

“I honestly never win anything, so at first it was disbelief,” she said. “I knew there was a competition running but didn’t realise just how incredible the prize was, when I found out it was the Azores and everything that’s included I was totally amazed.

“I’ve never done anything like this before, so it’s a real once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Heather secured her entry into the national prize draw on the final day of the health club’s Refer A Friend promotion, which ran across all Bannatyne sites in partnership with the new Anaconda adventure film. She will take her partner Mark on the holiday.

The prize includes a forest cabin stay, canyoning through waterfalls and volcanic hot springs, a guided 4x4 tour of a volcanic crater and an underground lava cave exploration.

Heather, who works in marketing for Plusnet, has been a member of the Worksop club for several years. She began by using the gym floor to build confidence and later worked with trainers to set personal goals.

After undergoing knee surgery, she returned to the club as part of her recovery and went on to embrace group exercise, now attending around four classes each week including Body Pump, strength and conditioning and Grit sessions.

She persuaded colleague Nicky Midgley to sign up after regularly talking about the benefits of the club’s classes and tailored training programmes.

Duncan Bannatyne, chairman and chief executive of Bannatyne Group, said: “Refer A Friend is about encouraging people to take that first step into a healthier lifestyle, and it’s fantastic to see members sharing the club with friends and family. We’re delighted Heather has won such an unforgettable experience and hope it inspires even more people to get active together.”