Cathy is an inspirational coach and motivator and has worked wonders in the trying to get the community active with her pop up fitness workshops such as the ones at Merryhills Primary School. Cathy has been encouraging families to get fit together and has tailor made sessions for children as young as 5 to be able to take part along with their parents. Cathy’s yoga and fitness classes for people with learning disabilities and autism in 2013 as part of the ‘Get Active London – Give It A Go Scheme’ were ground breaking and helped the participants improve their fitness and self esteem and also to relax and feel more confident and make new friends. The sessions were free. Cathy has a very friendly and welcoming manner making anyone who attends any of the classes or fitness sessions relaxed and at ease and more than anything she helps bring people together and make the sessions fun. She has a unique talent that not many coaches have in connecting with people and taking the time and trouble to make everyone feel as if she is their very own personal trainer! Best of all the sessions work and people really do see and feel the benefits. Cllr Bambos Charalambous, Cabinet Member for Sports, Leisure & Localism

Cathy has taught yoga at the Autism Hub to a group of adults with Autism and learning disabilities for the past 4 years. The service user’s look forward to Cathy’s session each Thursday afternoon and are keen to attend and participate. Cathy has always been very patient and empathetic with the group. The service users feel confident and safe with Cathy. Cathy is passionate about her work and empowering others to fulfil their potential. She displays a dynamic and diverse presence which up lifts people and she is very knowledgeable and explains herself to others in a clear and concise manner. She always listens to others and is non judgemental. The staff team at The Hub feel that Cathy excels as a yoga teacher. She has always been friendly and approachable. Cathy has always been punctual which is very important to our service users who display Ritualistic behaviour.

Cathy has led a wonderful set of inclusive yoga sessions for families at Markfield community centre in Haringey. She has supported disabled people and their families to participate in yoga and relaxation. She also runs sessions regularly for adults with learning disabilities. Cathy has facilitated sessions which have helped disabled people to improve their yoga skills. Her coaching also promotes body awareness which is key for engaging in physical activities and stress reducing techniques which increase health and well-being. Cathy has volunteered at Markfield events and has attended our parenting course to talk to parents of disabled children about yoga, introduced body awareness and relaxation strategies and promoted her coaching. She has also promoted a fitness day for families organised in collaboration with other sports in Enfield. Cathy has an incredibly warm and friendly manner. She is very engaging when coaching and able to adapt her sessions to meet the needs of participants. Cathy is enthusiastic about sport and yoga and demonstrates how accessible and rewarding these can be. Cathy’s work at Markfield has been greatly valued by staff, parents, disabled children and adults and siblings. The sessions have been fun, inclusive, accessible and supportive.

I have been a yoga Student of Cathy’s for approx 14 years. Throughout this period, I have found Cathy to be a really dedicated and committed teacher, someone who works through your weaknesses by playing to your strengths, she has an amazing amount of patience and never gives up. She is always extremely warm and affectionate towards her students, making them feel very special, a rare quality in this day and age. Cathy seems to have boundless energy and she always conveys this, although like the rest of us, I am sure there must be challenging moments when one also has children. She is always extremely professional. Cathy also has an extremely warm and generous disposition, she has held so many classes where the proceeds of that day were going to be donated to the various special needs projects that she has been working with.

Cathy is one of the most inspirational and innovative entrepreneurs I know. Cathy holds a strong set of values which guides her daily activities, and has the ability to create interesting yoga sessions whilst aligning her business activities to support charitable causes by introducing community group’s and disadvantaged communities to the benefits of yoga. Cathy has the ability to engage with everyone, and has been the inspiration for other mums to set up their own yoga and relaxation classes. Cathy supports economic growth of other Enfield based businesses by building collaborative partnerships, where she has re-branded an associates aromatherapy mist called “goddess spray”. The benefits of the essential oils have aided relaxation and provided inner calm when used.

I first met Cathy five years ago when I photographed her for the local paper. At the time, she had a vision to bring yoga to schools and to tackle the obesity problem in children. Cathy talked at length with great insight and enthusiasm about how exercise is not just for the fit and healthy but is of great benefit to those who are less active or unable to take part in regular sport. She accomplished this with great success and now runs regular classes at a number of primary schools in the Borough as well as specialising in exercise for people in the community who have autism, learning difficulties and mental health issues, including paranoid schizophrenia and substance abuse. Cathy is by far one of the most truly inspirational people I have ever had the fortune to meet and it is impossible not to be affected by her energy and warmth. She has given confidence to so many people and I applaud her as she continues with her heart-warming passion to make fitness accessible to every-one.