Coalville and Whitwick Slimming World group say they are in 'constant touch' with their members during the Coronavirus crisis - thanks to their virtual service.

In response to the need to suspend its 19,000 community groups across the UK and Ireland because of the pandemic, Slimming World is launched a new temporary 'virtual' weight loss service.

And Sharon Dawson, who runs the Coalville and Whitwick Group, says her members are able to stay in touch with her.

She explained: "On March 17, we were told our groups needed to close temporarily.

"Slimming World Head Office were on the case straight away.

"And last week we started running our groups virtually using Zoom.

"This enables the members to keep in touch with each other and allows me to continue to support them at this difficult time.

"Most of us are emotional eaters, so this situation can make things really difficult in lots of ways.

"I've been in constant contact with my members, helping and supporting when needed.

"We're one big family and are here for one another through the tough times."

Slimming World says the service will enable members to continue to enjoy – in a virtual environment – the vital weight loss support, but also the friendship and community spirit, they find in their local group each week.

The new service also means that Slimming World's 5,000 Consultants, who are self-employed franchisees, can continue to offer a service, at a discounted fee, so that they can continue to work and earn their own livingduring the weeks and months ahead.

Slimming World's CEO Caryl Richards said: "Our groups bring people together in the heart of their communities, to support and inspire one another every week.

"In these anxious times, the community spirit and the genuine care we provide has never been more important.

"We've had countless messages from members who are genuinely distressed at losing their group and their weight loss lifeline, who are already missing the camaraderie each week, and who desperately want to hang on to the changes they have madetowardsa healthier, fitter lifestyle.

"So we've done our very best to put a new 'virtual group' in place which gives our members the same practical help, caring support and friendship they've come to rely on, and gives our Consultants the means to sustain their livelihoods in the challenging times ahead."

The new package will include access to a weekly 'virtual' group using video conferencing. A Slimming World consultant will host their group and invite members to join from home to continue to get support to make healthier food choices and find new ways to stay active indoors.

The emphasis will be on building and staying in control of healthy new lifestyle habits when it might not be as easy as it is under normal circumstances – helping membersfind ways to make groceries go a bit further, and easy ways to shop, cook and eat healthily at a time when access to food is changing.

Slimming World's unique formula built on compassion, care and understanding, bringing a welcome bit of light in hard times, will be more important now than ever before.

All of this will be combined with ongoing use of social media, and access to Slimming World's app and member-only website LifelineOnline, which will provide them with all the practical help they need, as well as advice about how to stay physically active and psychologically strong.

Commenting on the temporary virtual service, Caryl said: "We've created this new service so that we can continue to give our members the very best support, to help them hang on to the changes they've already made towards living a healthier life and – even more importantly – to keep in touch with their slimming community.

"None of us knows just what we're facing in the next few weeks, so we feel sure that anything which can bring practical support as well as friendship, relief and reassurance will be welcome.

"While we believe nothing rivals the unbeatable magic of a Slimming World group, and though we may be physically apart, we don't need to be alone. Technology can help us stay together."