Fresh Air Fitness was created to help people see South East Essex with fresh eyes. For years, founder Andy Hawes taught history in classrooms, watching students light up when a story finally clicked. But he also knew something was missing, the land itself. The fields, lanes, and marshes that shaped the stories were right outside the door.

So he took the lessons outside.

Today, Fresh Air Fitness blends movement, storytelling, and proper place-based learning to help people understand the past in a way that feels real. No dusty lectures. No romanticised myths. Just honest, human stories told in the places that made them.

Alongside the History Hikes, Andy runs “Ride n Seek” history cycles, 1:1 tutoring for GCSE and A Level students, engaging talks for community groups, and a growing calendar of outdoor fitness sessions.

At its heart, Fresh Air Fitness is about belonging, helping people feel more connected, more confident, and more at home in the stories beneath their feet.