About Us

LifeDock are the UK’s leading training provider of creative, fun and effective physical activity programmes.

Founded in 2003 by Karen Case and Jacquie Guinn, LifeDock is a training provider that specialises in promoting physical, mental and social well-being. Lifedock is an OCN Training Centre and all courses are fully accredited at level 2 They are uniquely designed to bring safe and effective exercise for a range of special populations, including frail and elderly, young people, children, people with a learning and/or a physical disability and people living with mental health condition.

Thousands of LifeDock leaders are using their skills to bring joyful, physical activity sessions in health and social care settings, youth groups, community projects across Northern Ireland, Ireland and Great Britain. With LifeDock you can gain certification as a:

• Level 2 Chair Based Exercise leader - click here
• Level 2 Drum Based Exercise leader - click here
• Level 2 Chi Me Instructor (Tai Chi) - click here
• Level 2 Chair Yoga teacher click here
• Level 2 Strength & Balance leader click here
• Level 2 Simply Street leader (Hip Hop) - click here
• Level 2 In the Gym Instructor (CV machine supervision) - click here
• Level 2 Chi Me Animal Frolics leader (Tai Chi for kids & learning disability) click here
• Level 2 On Your Feet leader (exercise for active older adults) - click here
• Move Laugh Relax (Activity Co-ordinator workshop) - click here

At LifeDock we are passionate to see people of all ages and abilities live life to the full and experience the physical, social and mental benefits of exercise and being active. If you share that passion, join the professionals and become a LifeDock Leader today!

Jacquie Guinn

Head Trainer

Jacquie Guinn is one of the ‘Godmothers’ of fitness in Northern Ireland! She has been a fitness instructor for over 40 years as well as a Director, Trainer and Assessor for Fitness Northern Ireland. Jacquie has literally trained hundreds of instructors, in Exercise to Music, Step, 50 plus, Ante and Postnatal and Exercise for Children - including business partner, Karen Case!

Older people have always been her passion and when Age Concern, now Age N.I., approached her in 2002 to develop an accredited training programme in Chair Based Exercise, ‘LifeDock Training’ was born. LifeDock became a recognised OCNNI Training Centre and the Chair Based Activity course was the first fully accredited training programme for the frail and elderly in Northern Ireland. It continues to be one of LifeDock’s most sought after training courses.

Jacquie is also a qualified GP Referral instructor and has developed programmes for the clinically obese and for survivors of breast cancer. After training in London, she gained additional qualifications in Ante and Postnatal exercise and Stress Management. She has a Teacher Training Certificate for teaching and tutoring in further and adult education and a B-Tech in Performing Arts.

She also coached the Northern Ireland National Display Team who performed across the U.K. including events in the Royal Albert Hall. She loves to work with older and frailer people and currently leads a thriving activity club with over 150 members ranging from 50 to 88 years of age.

Karen Case

Head Trainer

Karen Case has worked in the Fitness Industry since 2001. Her first fitness qualification was Exercise to Music and the course tutor was none other than Jacquie Guinn, later to become her partner in LifeDock! 

As well as Exercise to Music, she is also a qualified Gym, Aqua and Pilates instructor. For many years she taught the Les Mills programmes; Bodypump, BodyAttack, BodyBalance and Bodystep and ran her own Gym in Belfast.

More recently she completed her Yoga Teacher Training in India, Yin Yoga (in Belfast), is a Drums Alive Instructor and is studying Tai Chi. She has also completed the City & Guilds Level 3, Teaching and Education Award. Karen is a people person and she possesses a wonderful ability to make everyone feel welcome. Having fun and using great music is her trademark and she always ensures her classes are accessible, regardless of age and ability. As well as working in fitness centres she delivers LifeDock programmes, including Chair Based Activity, Chi Me and Chi Me Animal Frolics in nursing homes and day centres, to frail and elderly people and people with learning disabilities.

Her broad range of fitness experience and knowledge has been invaluable in writing, developing and delivering LifeDock courses. She is looking forward to training even more Lifedock Leaders and is excited about several new programmes in the pipeline… Watch this space!

Cherie Brameld

Simply Street Head Trainer

Cherie is our Kiwi pocket rocket and is never seen without a smile on her face! Her energy and enthusiasm is infectious and is she is valuable and much-loved member of the Lifedock team. 

She has been dancing from the tender age of 6 - starting in ballet, then fully committing to Rhythmic Gymnastics. She went on to compete in the national and international squad for Phoenix Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, representing her native New Zealand. She also completed her coaching qualification (RGCC).

In 2004 she passed her Exercise to Music qualification becoming a fitness instructor. Her skills and expertise have led to her being appointed as an adjudicator at NICMAC (Northern Ireland Creative Movement & Aerobic Championships) for Hip Hop and Fitness. Although she teaches regular fitness classes including, circuits, boxercise, chair- based activity and stability ball, she comes into her own when the music starts and she gets to dance! Cherie is the head trainer for Simply Street – our hip hop programme designed for young people. We hope you get to meet her soon!

Fionnuala Keohane

'In The Gym' Head Trainer

Fionnuala brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Lifedock team. She has worked in the fitness industry since 1990 (when she was 12!), first qualifying as an Exercise to Music Teacher and swiftly adding Gym Instructor, Circuits and Free Weights to her qualifications. Fionnuala then qualified as a personal trainer and Pilates instructor, specialising in Back Care and Biomechanics. 

She then began to focus on working with adults with mental health diagnosis and older adults. She identified the need for exercise to be freely available to long-term mental health in-patients and as a result wrote and developed the ‘In the Gym’ course. Understanding the positive impact physical activity has on mental health she designed a training course to equip staff with the knowledge and confidence to safely supervise patients using cardio vascular equipment in the gyms. The ‘In the Gym’ course has been delivered to staff in many health boards throughout the North and South of Ireland, promoting physical and mental wellbeing.

And… if that wasn’t enough, Fionnuala has her City and Guilds Award in Teaching Adults, a qualified assessor and works as a tutor for fitness training. She is an External Quality Assurer and Examiner for iTEC throughout the UK and Ireland and an auditor for REPs Ireland.

Eileen Boyd

Move Laugh Relax Tutor

Eileen brings a wealth of experience and qualifications to the Lifedock Team! She has an amazing repertoire of dance, crafts, music, art, exercise, drama and Tai Chi. She is our Move, Laugh, Relax tutor. Her qualifications are extensive - Post Graduate Diploma in Sport and Leisure, Teaching Adults in Further Education, Tutor Award in Chair Based Exercise for The Elderly and Special Needs, Community Development Cert. (U.U.), Exercise and Fitness tutor, NVQ Assessor and Internal Verifier, Level 3 Certificate in Swedish Massage and Certificate in Counselling. She also gained the Labin Guild Dance Leader qualification and has tutored on several Laban training courses. She has been passionate about movement and dance her whole life and has performed and choreographed for Fitness Ireland’s national team. In addition to this she has had a long career in community and care settings, extending back 45 years! For over 20 years she has provided therapy sessions for Adults with Learning Disabilities, Older people and those with a Dementia diagnosis. She has loved working in Social Care and Community settings and is delighted to pass on her skills to others…and we are delighted too!

Sarah Foster

Administration Officer

Sarah is the most important person on the team - she makes sure everything that needs to be done gets done! She looks after our learners and keeps the tutors on their toes! She also keeps our social media up to date!