Back in March, I joined around twenty others with Parkinson’s (average age 52yrs) for the weekend at the Holiday Inn in Western Turville. Delegates came from as far afield as Bury St Edmunds, Bristol and Brighton and all points in between.
‘Fighting Fit – Living and Working Well with Parkinson’s’ is a residential programme for younger and working-age group PwP’s and is modelled on the programme developed at the European Parkinson’s Therapy Centre in Italy. It has been developed by Peter & Laurel Miller, who are members of the Parkinson’s UK Amersham and High Wycombe Branch and Pat Salter (who lives in Leamington Spa) when they realised there is a paucity of information and help available in the UK for working age PwP’s. There have now been three weekends and others are scheduled including plans to start Fighting Fit in Leeds in November.
The information sessions covered topics such as: skills for working life; technology available to help make life easier; employment rights; finance and benefits; managing relationships; medication management; benefits of, and different types of, exercise; how to have a good night’s sleep; and a research update. There were separate sessions for partners.
Fighting Fit is a ‘not-for-profit’ venture, is recognised by Cure Parkinson’s Trust, and the weekend is subsidised by Parkinson’s UK.
My thanks go to Pat, Laurel, Peter and the rest of the team for organising an excellent weekend – I thoroughly recommend it.
Best regards
Rosie Brown (diagnosed about 3½ years ago).