A walking football project for people living with Parkinson’s Disease and other long-term conditions in Whaley Bridge and surrounding areas, which launched last October, has marked World Parkinson’s Day by inviting local councillor Ruth George to join their regular Tuesday morning session.
The group, which was formed by local social enterprise Be Well Active, welcomes people with a variety of conditions that mean they appreciate a more gentle approach to physical activity.
Mick Owen, chair of the community business, said: “We’ve been using walking football to improve wellbeing for the communities of Whaley Bridge and the High Peak since 2015 and we’ve already seen how effective the ‘slowed down version of the beautiful game’ can be for people living with long-term health conditions.
“Staying active should be a fun experience and we have always said ‘If you’re not smiling, you’re not doing it right’ so our sessions are designed to be fun and supportive and you can go at your own pace. Thanks to an original grant from Parkinson’s UK, we have been able to welcome members of the Parkinson’s community, people with epilepsy, heart conditions and dementia as well as people coming back after long term injuries or from knee or hip operations.”
World Parkinson’s Day is an opportunity to support the Parkinson’s community, help to raise their voices, and allow them share their experiences of living with Parkinson’s.
Councillor George, a keen footballer in her day, enjoyed the session and afterwards announced that her support included a £300 grant to help continue the session which include warm-ups, skills practices and friendly games, and run every Tuesday from 11:30 to 12:30 on the rubber crumb pitch in Whaley Bridge Memorial Park (Enter off Park Lane, SK23 7DJ)…
FULL STORY at source: https://www.questmedianetwork.co.uk/news/glossop-chronicle/whaley-walking-football-project-celebrates-world-parkinsons-day-on-11th-april/
Author: The Walking Football
You create the memories; we help you relive them forever!
