Parkinson’s support event hailed a success

A free support event was held this week to mark World Parkinson’s Day at Waterlane Leisure Centre in Lowestoft, hosted by East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH) in partnership with Parkinson’s UK and Everyone Active.

With over 150 attendees from the Lowestoft, Waveney and Great Yarmouth areas, the event brought together people with Parkinson’s and their relatives/carers to provide information about local services, as well as a chance to catch up and meet other people with the condition.

People also had the opportunity to contribute to the global “Stand up to Parkinson’s” challenge, in which 18 people completed a total of 353 sit-to-stands, contributing to the running total at present of 931,500.

The event was organised by ECCH’s Integrated Community Neurology Service, which offers support and advice to people who have been diagnosed with neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, motor neurone disease and stroke.

Other services from the social enterprise were also in attendance, including ECCH’s memory impairment nurses, Tissue Viability and Continence teams.

They were joined by representatives from Parkinson’s UK, Disability Advice North East Suffolk (DANES), BACT, Sailability, Ping Pong Parkinson’s, Everyone Active and Suffolk Family Carers.

ECCH Physiotherapy Team Leader and Staff Director Amy Vallis said: “As Parkinson’s is one of the most common neurological conditions in the UK, this was a great opportunity to raise awareness and connect with local people living with the condition, and their carers, to show them the range of services that are available in the area to support them. We received some amazing feedback from attendees and look forward to planning similar events in the future!”