Ben, Alaine (team lead), Brendan, Kat, Holly and Clare
Our patients need your help ..
The physio team at Lymington Hospital strike a pose to ask for your support to build a ‘state-of-the-art’ physiotherapy facility. The hospital’s therapists are championing the new Friends’ Appeal to raise money to create a modern gym to assist them to rehabilitate patients in the best possible way.
The Friends are asking for donations to raise £20,000 to buy commercial quality gym equipment. The physio team needs a smart indoor bike, treadmill and rower to design exercise routines that build patient stamina. To improve recovery from injuries and post-op rehab, they need an adjustable cable machine, weights and a TRX system. Finally, to help with strength and balance issues, they need gym balls, an agility ladder, wobble cushion and Bosu ball.
Alaine Brooks (MSK Team lead, Southern Health Foundation Trust) explained:
“We currently have a limited selection of ‘well used’ equipment that is nearing the end of its useful life and we now need to urgently upgrade our facilities.
Adding modern equipment will allow us to treat our patients more effectively to improve their strength, balance and flexibility, whether recovering from injuries, operations, stroke or the effect of isolation and lack of exercise during the COVID lockdowns. Indeed, the ongoing impact of long COVID is proving a challenge for many patients and we need new equipment to help them to recover faster.
With an upgraded gym, we will be able to take our patients through specially tailored exercise programmes, including movement, balancing, strengthening routines and aerobic exercises. These will help build strength and independence, we will also provide guidance on how patients can maintain exercises in their own homes. The modern gym facility can also be used by staff, outside patient hours, to encourage their health and wellbeing, with the therapy team on-hand to provide support.”
Arthur England (Joint Chair and Trustee, Lymington Hospital Friends) added:
“The Friends need your help to raise £20,000 to support the hospital physio squad and create this upgraded facility to improve patient care.
Alaine asks Arthur to demonstrate why we need new Gym kit!
It’s a valuable resource that will additionally provide a modern fitness suite to benefit staff health and wellbeing.
You can see that the current range of kit is pretty basic!
The Trustees main focus, until we can re-start volunteering services, is to work with the hospital on new projects and ‘lockdown’ fundraising.
Mike Hodges (Joint Chair and Trustee, Lymington Hospital Friends) noted
“During the pandemic, we have not been able to deliver our normal volunteer services in the hospital or carry out community fundraising events.
Please donate to support our Gym Appeal and thank you to those of you who contributed to our recent echocardiogram heart scanner appeal.”
(Photo credits New Milton Advertiser and Lymington Times / Steve West)
