ABOUT
#DoItForJosh was set up in memory of Josh who passed away at the age of 21 in a tragic car accident alongside his girlfriend Jess and their unborn baby.
Josh was passionate about health and fitness and had achieved qualifications in Level 2 Sport and Fitness and Level 3 Sports Coaching at East Sussex College in Hastings. He went on to complete his Level 3 Personal Training, achieving his ultimate goal. Following this, Josh set up his own business delivering personal training to individuals as well as group exercise classes alongside working as a duty manager at a local leisure centre and working for Active Hastings supporting the delivery of their weight management programmes.
Josh supported many clients on their health, fitness and wellness journeys and was passionate about helping others to achieve their goals. Josh was always present, motivating and kind, which is why so many individuals were drawn to him; nothing was ever too much for Josh. If you ever had the pleasure to meet Josh, he was an individual you could never forget, with his curly hair, cheeky smile and passion for sharing his knowledge and supporting others.
The aim of our charity is to continue Josh’s work by raising funds to create opportunities for more people to access health, fitness and wellbeing programmes, keeping his memory and his dreams alive.
A life taken too soon, we will always remember that Josh would do it for you.
#DoItForJosh continues his legacy in supporting all elements of health and wellbeing projects and events across Hastings and nearby areas.
Our Impact
The aim of our charity is to raise funds to create opportunities for more people to access health, fitness and wellbeing programmes, keeping Josh's memory and his dreams alive.
#DoItForJosh is a non-profit charity, run by a board of trustees who do so in their own free time. Since setting up the charity we have been delighted to be able to fund approximately £10,000 worth of local initiatives and events, including:
2x 12 WEEK WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES
These programmes are designed for residents of Hastings and St Leonards who are looking to lose weight and make long-term, sustainable lifestyle changes. Participants learn: • Strategies for healthy and sustainable weight loss • How to recognise and overcome unhealthy habits • Practical tools for managing emotional eating There are three course options available: • Flab-U-Less – Women only • Waistband of Brothers – Men only • Lean In To It – Mixed group To be eligible, participants must have a BMI of 30 or above. Heidi from Active Hastings says, "Funding from #DoItForJosh has been vital in ensuring these courses continue to run, as well as in providing essential resources and equipment to support participants on their journey."
8 WEEK MEN'S KICKBOXING & MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM
The charity funded an 8-week Kickstart to Confidence program with Hastings Kombat Academy. Comments from HKA: "It’s so inspiring to see such a great group of men stepping out of their comfort zones, trying something new, and giving it their all. The atmosphere was amazing – filled with hard work, laughter, and determination. We had 5 men stay on to join HKA and are still members now. They have a WhatsApp group chat where they all still communicate from time to time. Some of them have now made good friendships. A few weeks after the course ended, they all met up for dinner. It was a great way for the men to meet new people, form a new support network, manage their emotions, stress etc and are now part of our community."
'MEET THE TEAM' EVENTS FOR YOUNG PARENTS WITH THE LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY MIDWIVES
This incredible continuity of care team supports young parents across East Sussex - caring for all parents under 19, and most aged 20 and 21. Made up of nine midwives and one admin assistant/care coordinator, they do truly life-changing work. The sessions we are supporting will: - Help parents meet the full midwifery team, increasing the chance of knowing the midwife who’ll care for them during labour - Give young parents the chance to connect with others going through similar experiences, reducing isolation and building friendships Each event will also include essential antenatal education, covering: - The latent phase of labour, coping at home & the role of a birthing partner - Hypnobirthing, coping in labour & pain relief options - What to expect during your hospital sta - Mental health & postnatal wellbeing - Infant feeding - from breastfeeding support to safe bottle preparation For this programme we have provided: - 8 weighted reborn baby dolls for use during sessions - Printed tote bags for welcome & information packs, gifted to each young parent registration fees for 4 midwives, enabling them to offer contraception implant services in the community - a vital service that had been paused due to this being a personal cost to midwives. We’re so happy to help get this important care back up and running. These sessions will start in January 2026 and we can’t wait to hear all about them!
FUN RUN BINGO
Fun Run Bingo was set up as a yearlong challenge from January through to December 2025 with the focus on supporting people to get moving whether that be walking, jogging or running, and to keep it up throughout the year. All participants paid an entry fee of £21 and received a t shirt to wear on their runs/walks which were sponsored by JT Embroidery (logo attached) and a bingo card with 21 challenges to complete throughout the year. At the end of the year once all challenges are complete medals will also be issued!
CHRISTMAS GIFT APPEAL
Last year we ran our first Christmas gift appeal and were overwhelmed with the kindness and generosity shown by the local community. We were able to provide a large number of gifts and food boxes for children, young people and adults in need. All gift parcels were donated to Belles of the Ball, who distributed these to families in need within Hastings and the surrounding areas. This year we are running Josh’s Christmas Gifts appeal and again will be donating gift and food parcels to those in need. We are proud to be working with Belles of the Ball, The Lighthouse Family Midwives and FSN, who will distribute all donations to families in need that they support and work with.