Every month we crown a Good News Champion. We're on the look out for special people who've inspired us with the dedication and fun they bring to staying healthy and helping others do the same. For April, we've picked Jill Perry, a therapeutic dance instructor who's been helping people stay fresh and supple with dance exercises using the Margaret Morris Method for over two decades.

Jill's colourful life has seen her hop between Australia and the UK and even train as an actress, and she's now busy running classes for older enthusiasts in York. Jill is probably her own best advertisement; at 78 she's still in great shape, and she says that dance therapy has helped keep her body trim and her mind sharp all along. We're really impressed with Jill, and if you are too, why not try out one of her workshops, which are running at York Explore Library on 18th June from 10.30 - 1.00. Keep up the good work Jill!

Finding John Shirbon up to his elbows in mud is not unusual these days. Brought up on a farm and a keen rugby player in his younger days, for John being fit and active was a way of life. Now in his early years of retirement, an allotment has given him the opportunity to get back to his roots.

When a new allotment site opened in Strensall, John volunteered to be site secretary. “I had time on my hands and my gardening experience meant that I could help newer gardeners ‘learn the ropes’. Much of gardening is about doing the right thing at the right time. They are a great group of tenants”.

John is often found digging to help a fellow tenant in need, and he would much prefer to work in his allotment than spend time in the gym. All this working together encourages more gardeners to spend more time in their gardens, keeping fit and enjoying the food they produce. We think that makes John more than worthy to take our spot of April Good News champion.

Our champion for this month is the multi-talented Angela Shepherd. Angela spends her time working as a wellness coach helping people feel healthier with personalised nutritional plans and exercise advice. She's helped loads of people to get their thirty minutes, and that's why we think she's great. When she's keeping fit in her own time Angela enjoys cycling and running, and even the cold winter weather hasn't put her off! She's involved this year's Great North Run, and she's planning to bike round the Alps to see this year's Tour de France cycle race. Well, that certainly leaves us out of breath, but not Angela. She also does yoga and pilates to keep supple and she's even had a go at Nordic walking as advertised through this site! If your limbs are aching just thinking about all that, don't worry, Angela is qualified in massage and aromatherapy too. What a star!

We’re not sure how we’re going to cram all of this month’s champion’s activities into one box – Andrew Bayston must be our busiest champion yet! There’s no stopping this 27-year-old– his Cerebral Palsy and learning disability are no match for his enthusiasm and dedication, especially when it comes to the recreational sport Boccia (a ball-throwing game similar to bowls, in case you were wondering!). Not content with just training once a week, Andrew has helped to establish and coach the new First York Boccia Juniors club, having trained as a Level 1 coach.

As if that wasn’t enough, Andrew goes to the gym twice a week and walks everywhere, in training for Boccia and for taking part in organised races. He has completed six Jane Tomlinson events, has taken on the Great North Run twice, and is hoping to volunteer at the 2012 Olympics. Andrew always takes the time to motivate and encourage others too - what a fantastic, all-round champion!

Rebecca Craven never really considered herself the ‘sporty type’, but completed her first half marathon a few years ago. She found running such a quick and cheap way to get fit that she set up Copmanthorpe Runners, a running group where mums in particular could meet and go out together. The initial members were recruited through the local playgroup and the first goal was the 5k Race for Life event.

“I was really pleased to see how the group developed and we now have men and women of all ages and abilities. We feel it’s important to give everyone a warm welcome, agree a route together and all stick together so no one is left behind”.

Copmanthorpe Runners meet at the Copmanthorpe shops on Wednesdays at 7pm and Saturdays at 8.30am. They run round the village, across the fields, to Askham Bog, Bishopthorpe and also enjoy their annual village tour spotting Christmas lights!

Everyone is welcome: just turn up and join in. Copmanthorpe Runners also have a Facebook page where you can find out lots more information about running gear, events and the group’s socials.

Jonathan Richardson has been chosen as champion for this month. He’s the Community Climbing Officer at Energise in York and is 100% behind the Good News campaign. He’s even painted the words GOOD NEWS on his climbing wall!

As well as talking to all his climbing customers about keeping up their daily fitness he also encourages them to try new and exciting sports. These are the fun and interesting activities such as kayaking, canoeing and skiing which are key to enjoying a healthy and fit lifestyle.

Retired teacher Derek Utley is this month’s deserving champion. As a keen walker (he still does fairly serious walks like the Coast to Coast and Offa's Dyke) he is one of York’s volunteer walk leaders, leading a free walk which is open to everyone, starting at Dunnington every other week.

The walks are always well attended and everyone has a great time. However he has been surprised by how little is known about the immediate surroundings, even by people who have lived here for a long time. So, to encourage more folk to get out and about he has produced 3 booklets of walks: Dunnington Strolls and Holtby Hikes, with walks of 2- 4 miles and Dunnington Super Strolls, from 6 to 9 miles. These have been sponsored by local firms and individuals, and are sold via the local newsagents for £1.50 with all proceeds to the NSPCC. He has sold hundreds of the booklets, and more titles are planned soon!

This month's champion is Hannah Barwick-Walters who decided to start a Cheerleading team at the University of York. Hannah had previously participated in dance and gymnastics and after discussions with a friend at another University, the York Hornets Cheerleading club was formed in 2008.

The squad started with 25 members in one squad that trained once a week. This has now grown to 4 squads with over 75 male and female members that train 3 -4 times per week and last year the squad won first place in the British Cheerleading Association Midlands Classic.

Hannah says "Cheerleading is a great form of all round exercise that includes dance routines, gymnastics and stunts. It is also a great place to meet new people in a friendly environment that caters for beginners in our performance squad to the elite in the stunt squad."

Well done Hannah!

Ray Blogg, Social Secretary of New Earswick Bowling Club is this month's very deserving champion. Ray, 81 years old, has encouraged others to be active throughout his life, setting up the York postal racewalking club when he worked at Royal Mail. This led him to become a member of the British Racewalking Committee, helping others all over the country to have a go.

Today he is passionate about giving club members and their families the chance to be active, organising social dances, golf trips, tap dancing sessions and activity breaks away. He is also looking to take a coaching qualification next year to encourage younger members of the club to get involved.

Ray himself plays bowls 5 times a week,enjoys a round of golf 3 times a week and attends tap dancing classes with his wife Rita, setting an example to us all!

Our champions this month are Macmillan Cancer Support in York, who organise active events as part of their fund-raising activities, including the 3 Peaks Walk in July and the York 10k run in August. For people who don’t want to take part in these bigger events, they too can get involved by spending half an hour walking door to door and making leaflet drops. Getting people active and raising money for a good cause at the same time makes Macmillan Cancer Support a worthy recipient of our August Champion title. Find out more about them here.

York resident Bea Ruane had no idea what she was starting when she came up with the idea of a Daschund walking session with her friends. The first week saw a relatively modest 6 dogs turn up, but the word spread and the following week over 60 Daschunds and around 80 owners turned up! The dog-walking club is now a great success, meeting on the first Sunday in every month at 2pm at St Peter’s Field. We think getting this amount of people out and active definitely makes Bea our July Good News champion.

Photo courtesy of of Shine Studios, York

Sue Smith from Haxby Library is a Good News Champion. The library recently entered the Haxby Scarecrow competition and made sure that their entry – Where’s Wally – was sitting on an exercise bike in the window, surrounded by fitness accessories and a Good News poster. Thankyou Sue!