A charity in Moseley, in Birmingham, that has worked hard to ensure elderly people with disabilities are not forgotten during the pandemic has received a funding boost from one of the country’s leading housebuilders.
A donation of £1,000 has been made to The Foundation for Conductive Education by Persimmon Homes through its Community Champions scheme, a national programme where charities and groups can apply for funding. If a person finds that, due to a neurological problem, their movements are compromised, lacking or difficult to perform Conductive Education may be able to help.
Annie Smith, from the charity, said: “We deliver this system for the adults we support through our Road to Wellness project. We teach adults with conditions such as Parkinson’s, stroke, MS and cerebral palsy to gain greater control of their movements.
“We provide a full range of flexible services to meet individual needs, which are now even more complex due to Covid-19. We are raising funds to continue providing services for these people and crucially, we anticipate higher demands for Conductive Education to continue throughout 2021.
“Many adults have been diagnosed with a neurological condition during lockdown, while at the same time many hospital and community services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy have been postponed. We know first-hand the devastating effects isolation and shielding measures have had on the over-70s living with disabilities, and we are preparing for even more adults who need our help to get them moving better with more control and confidence.”
NICE, the organisation based in Moseley, Birmingham, is based on a belief of human potential where people with neurological motor disorders have the capacity to learn and develop skills through structured teaching and learning programmes designed and delivered by professionally trained conductors.
One of the adult participants had this to say about the service: “Thank you for the continuing support. When the face-to-face sessions ended, I noticed the negative impact it had all-round including on my mobility.
“When the remote sessions started it was such a relief, helping improve, among other things, my mobility and posture again. Being able to see other group members and the conductors also helped to lift my mood through this isolating period.” Sarah Preston, sales director for Persimmon Homes Central, said: “We are delighted to be able to support such a worthwhile service.”
