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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle

How can I pay my friend’s gym fees without making her feel bad?

Composite: Getty; Guardian Design Team
Photograph: Guardian Design Team/Getty

My problem is that my friend and I – both in our 70s – meet two or three days a week at our local, council-run, gym. My friend’s pension is rapidly decreasing, as she has come here from a country which is having economic problems, while mine – thanks to the triple lock increases annually – is doing OK. My friend cannot afford the gym fees for this year and I would like to pay her annual membership, but she is very independent and I do not want her to feel under obligation. How can I go about this? Any advice would be most welcome.

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