A NORTHWICH gym owner has encouraged members of the public to carry out random acts of kindness.

Paul Connor, a personal trainer who runs MPA Fitness off Manchester Road, recently opened his gym on Christmas Day for those feeling lonely during the festive period.

And he was delighted to be able to help six people who turned up, just by having a chat and a laugh while working out.

“Christmas Day isn’t necessarily like the tv commercials for everybody with joy in abundance and love and happiness everywhere,” he said.

“For others, it is quite the opposite.

“Because that may be the case for some people in the town, I said I would open my gym on Christmas Day morning for anyone who wanted a workout.

“But more importantly, for anyone who perhaps wanted a chat or some company for an hour or so.”

Paul, who always works out on Christmas Day to prepare himself for the ‘major calorie consumption’ which follows, says that while loneliness may be felt more at Christmas, it happens throughout the year.

And even saying hello to a stranger when walking down the street or helping people by carrying shopping can go a long way towards making them feel better.

“Start by speaking to people and being nice to them,” he added.

“We can all do this and it can make a real difference. Don’t pass these chances by, as they are wonderful and they make both parties feel good.

“I don’t intend to sit back on this, as it shouldn’t be a one off, and I will put some ideas together to see what I can do to move forward because we all deserve happiness.”