Started: March 2011
Based: London
Website: www.oomph-wellness.org
Twitter: @OomphWellness
Category: Health

Oomph! Wellness is a social enterprise and provider of exercise classes for older people. Its aim is to improve the health and quality of life of people in residential care.

Oomph! stands for Our Organisation Makes People Happy! The company was set up by 25-year-old Ben Allen. Having travelled around the world as a personal trainer, he saw that when it comes to exercise, older people are often neglected and decided to set up accessible classes in residential homes.

From cheerleading to Strictly Fun Dancing and ‘Chairobics’, Oomph! Wellness offers a number of different dance workshops for older people including those with health conditions such as arthritis and mobility restrictions.

Since it started Oopmh! Wellness, has run 7,000 sessions with over 100,000 participants and attracts 10,000 new attendees every month. It is now pumping out rock 'n' roll routines and Zorba the Greek dance moves in 600 residential care homes.

Oomph! Wellness provides classes which are designed by the care home residents themselves and validated by dance and health experts.

The company is backed by NAPA, Skills Active, Nesta and the Big Lottery Fund.