December has a habit of becoming a month of good intentions, the run you keep meaning to start, the fitness routine you promise yourself you’ll stick to once the new year hits, the walk you keep putting off because the evenings are dark and the sofa is right there.

This year, we’d love you to turn that good intention into something that genuinely changes a local child’s Christmas. That’s the whole idea behind It’s Fitmas.

What is Fitmas?

Fitmas turns your December workouts into something that changes a child’s Christmas.

Whether you’re training solo, part of a walking group, a member of a gym or boutique studio, or want to rally your workplace, Fitmas is a simple way to turn movement into meaningful fundraising for local children across Manchester and Salford this Christmas.

There’s no rigid format to stick to. Set yourself a challenge, find an organised event you’ve always wanted to try, or create your own entirely. A lot of people are taking on the 12 days of Christmas as their structure,  12 workouts, 12 walks, 12 classes, 12 days of movement. Others are going bigger: walking, running or cycling the distance from Manchester to Lapland, sharing the mileage between a group of friends or colleagues, with a prize for whoever’s team gets there fastest.

However you want to shape it, the brief is simple: enjoy your time making a difference, feel good doing it, and don’t forget to ask friends, family or colleagues to sponsor you along the way.

Why we’re asking people to fundraise this way

Every year, Wood Street Mission runs a Christmas Appeal to support families across Manchester and Salford who are struggling with the rising cost of living,  providing brand-new toys, gifts and festive treats to children aged 0–14. What makes it special is that families choose their own gifts, so Christmas morning feels personal and dignified rather than like a parcel picked for them by someone else.

Fitmas exists because fundraising doesn’t have to feel like a chore bolted onto your to-do list. It can be something you were probably going to try and find time for anyway, a daily workout, a walking habit, a reason to finally book onto that fitness class, just with a purpose stitched through it.

How it works

1. Choose your challenge: go solo with a Fitmas challenge, or create your own with friends, family or colleagues
2. Set up your fundraising page: it takes a couple of minutes
3. Get moving throughout December: whatever suits you: walking, running, classes, home workouts
4. Share your progress: bring people along with you and grow your sponsorship
5. Your fundraising makes Christmas special: directly supporting Wood Street Mission’s work with local children this Christmas

Some fundraising ideas, if you’re not sure where to start

• Walk, run or cycle 12 times in December, or make it the full distance from Manchester to Lapland
• Set your own “12”, 12 miles, 12 flights of stairs, 12 anything. Have fun with it
• Take on 12 classes at your gym or studio
• Commit to 12 days of home workouts, yoga, HIIT, whatever you actually enjoy doing
• Rally your walking group, gym, or workplace into a team challenge

A note for gyms and fitness studios

If you run or work at a gym or studio across Manchester or Salford, we’d love your help bringing Fitmas to life this December, whether that’s promoting it to your members, hosting a themed class, or setting your own studio-wide challenge. However much or little involvement suits you, it makes a real difference.

Prefer to give directly?

Fitmas is all about fundraising, but if you’d rather make a straightforward donation instead, that’s just as welcome. Donate directly here.

Good to know

Fitmas supports our wider Christmas Appeal, which has a donation deadline of Friday 11 December, so please aim to have your fundraising in by then to make sure it reaches families in time for Christmas.

Ready to take part?

However you’d like to get involved, solo, as a group, through your gym, or with your whole workplace, we’d love to have you. Email fundraise@woodstreetmission.org.uk to sign up and get started.

Feel good. Do good. Make Christmas special.