Parkinson’s therapy day for Bedfordshire

THE Leighton branch of Parkinson’s UK, the national charity that provides help and advice for Parkinson’s disease sufferers, is urging those with the condition to attend its Therapy Day on March 30.

The event takes place at the Rufus Centre in Flitwick with the theme for the day ‘Try Something New’.

While the symptoms of Parkinson’s are well known, the condition usually affects individuals in different ways. Consequently, the therapies available to alleviate the condition also have varying affects, depending on the individual.

For instance, some might benefit from meditation, yoga or t’ai chi while others might benefit from dancing or singing.

The aim of the Bedfordshire Therapy Day is to make a number of these therapies available for people to sample for free. Anyone with the condition can therefore discover which therapies provide the greatest beneficial effect for them, thus allowing them to source those therapies themselves, either personally or through their branch. As a result they will be able to manage their condition better.

The therapies available for sampling on the day will be: personal life coaching; t’ai chi; singing; seated yoga; mindful movement; conductive education; and stretching and toning for carers. There will also be an arts and crafts area for those not wanting to take part in active workshops.

This event was only made possible through a generous donation of £5,000 by the Freemasons to the Bedfordshire branches of Parkinson’s UK (Leighton, Bedford and Luton). It was decided that half the money would be spent on research while the other half would go towards the Therapy Day. The money was part of a much larger donation made by the Freemasons to Parkinson’s UK on a national basis.

The £5,000 cheque was handed over to Carol Stork, the regional fundraiser for Parkinson’s UK in eastern England, by Michael Sawyer, the Provincial Grand Master for Bedfordshire Freemasons, at the Leighton Buzzard branch’s annual Christmas Luncheon at Tilsworth Golf Club in Leighton Buzzard in December. Also in attendance were Eric Barford, the Bedfordshire Freemasons’ Provincial Grand Charity Steward, and Bill Brady, chairman of the Bedford branch.

Ron Artis, chairman of the Leighton Buzzard branch, said: “This is a very important event for us. Parkinson’s disease can have a devastating effect on a person’s life, but while there is no cure as yet, it is possible to mitigate its effect through a variety of therapies.

“By being able to try out a number of them for free, people with Parkinson’s can discover which one works best for them and will then be able to have much more control over their life.”

Anyone interested in attending the event should contact Gill Miller, Leighton Buzzard branch secretary, on 01525 371768. Anyone interested in joining the Leighton Buzzard branch of Parkinson’s UK should telephone Ron Artis on 01582 667483.