A Love to Move session has been established in Steyning as the result of a fantastic new partnership between Right at Home, Steyning Parish Council and Love to Move deliverers, Cherry and Anna.
Sport England’s Together Funding was made available through the British Gymnastics Foundation to help kick start the new session to benefit older people living with long-term health conditions such as dementia, in the local area. The partnership has been, and continues to be, first class.
The owner of Right at Home, Anton, has, himself completed the Love to Move training, so fully understands the benefits of the programme. The deliverers feel supported by the partner organisations and staff have been mentored to complete their own Love to Move training and assessment to further support the sessions. Deliverers have recently requested raised steps for some clients to give them better access to movements during the class, and Right at Home immediately provided these.
This social element has developed into an active social gathering which is helping to alleviate the isolation felt by so many older people.
As popularity for the sessions grew, they relocated from a small side room to the largest room at the Steyning Centre. As well as the proven benefit of the movements within Love to Move sessions, the participants have also benefited from the social impact they’ve seen from attending the sessions and staying on for a coffee and a chat afterwards. It started as a polite drink and has grown to finding a friend to sit next to and properly engage with. This is just as true of carers and participants. Music is personalised at the end of a session and the deliverers get requests coming from participants and carers. The power of music and memories cannot be under stated.
I am extremely pleased with the expertise and loving care that my wife, Ruth, receives each week at the Love to Move group. Ruth who has dementia and restricted movement, appears to be really enjoying herself doing the various exercises and participating modules. She is also clearly benefiting from the social aspect of the meetings. I am very impressed by the energy and competence of the staff, who also have the ability to make the group members feel that they are being cared for in a personal way.
Terry, carer and husband of Ruth.
Love to Move classes have been used to make links across services.
The Steyning group have been visited by Age UK who, as a result have started conversations so that two of the participants now have some day care and the carers have some respite. They are due to be visited next by West Sussex 4 Sight, vision support, so they can sign post clients to benefit from the Love to Move sessions.
I really enjoy coming each week and look forward to it. Anna and Cherry are great leaders. We also have tea and cake. Exercises do me a lot of good, I do them a lot at home now as well. Gets all the bits moving!”
Shelia, Participant.
The classes are really friendly as are Cherry and Anna who are supportive and understanding. I have seen a marked improvement in Mums confidence and mobility since she joined. The tea and biscuits are an added bonus!”
Rosie, carer and daughter of Betty
Classes start slowly as word spreads and without the starter fund from Sport England these would not take off. These classes are not money-making ventures so without funding they simply wouldn’t get started
Cherry, Love to Move Deliverer.
Could you be part of a partnership?
This is a fantastic example of how setting up a new Love to Move class in your area can done in partnership with other local organisations. If you are interested in training to deliver, or if you are an organisation that could add something to a Love to Move partnership, we’d love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]