ARC Fitness founder Gary Rutherford named Regional Winner at Pride of Britain Awards
ARC Fitness’ founder and CEO, Gary Rutherford said he is ‘truly humbled’ after being named the Northern Ireland regional winner at this year’s Daily Mirror UTV Pride of Britain Awards, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to addiction recovery, community wellbeing and public health across the North West.
The Pride of Britain Awards, in partnership with ITV and TSB, celebrate the achievements of truly remarkable people who make the world a better place.
Gary’s regional win places him alongside a national line-up of extraordinary individuals whose courage, compassion and community spirit have transformed the lives of others.
A registered mental health nurse and qualified personal trainer, Gary founded ARC Fitness in 2019 with a simple but powerful belief: that recovery is possible for everyone when people are supported through physical activity, professional care and genuine community. In the years since, ARC has grown into one of Northern Ireland’s most recognised recovery organisations, delivering structured recovery pathways, family support, education partnerships with Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast, and civic initiatives including the Inclusive Recovery City work in Derry.
Speaking on receiving the regional award, said: “I’m truly humbled to receive this recognition, but this award does not belong to me alone. It belongs to every person in recovery who has trusted us with their story, to every family who has stood beside a loved one, and to every staff member, volunteer and partner who has helped build ARC into what it is today.”
Gary, who was previously a Derry Journal People of the Year Community Champion Award recipient, added: “When we started ARC Fitness in 2019, we simply wanted to show that recovery could look different — that it could be active, hopeful and community-led. To now be recognised at the Pride of Britain Awards is a moment of real pride for our city and for the wider recovery community across Northern Ireland. It is a reminder that when we invest in people, believe in their potential and walk alongside them, extraordinary things happen.”
Gary’s recognition comes during a landmark year for ARC Fitness, which is currently delivering work on behalf of The National Lottery Community Fund, The Public Health Agency as well as an independent NIHR-funded evaluation of its programmes in partnership with PHIRST-LIGHT. Gary is also the Co Chair of the men’s mental health and suicide collective working towards improving suicide prevention across the Western Health and Social Care Trust area.
As the regional winner for Northern Ireland, Gary will be invited to attend the national Pride of Britain Awards ceremony in London later this year, joining regional winners from across the UK.
The team at ARC Fitness has paid tribute to Gary’s leadership, describing him as “the heart of everything ARC stands for”, and thanking the wider community, partners and supporters who nominated and voted for him.
To learn more about ARC Fitness, its programmes, and the ‘Rewrite The Story’ campaign, visit https://arcfitness.uk.
The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, in partnership with ITV and TSB, honour the unsung heroes of the United Kingdom. Regional winners are selected across the ITV network and go on to represent their region at the national awards ceremony in London.