Keeping a therapy gym open through the pandemic for people with disabilities
Through 2020-2021, BCF awarded a total of £8,300 to West Berkshire Therapy Centre. This helped the therapy gym stay afloat during an extremely difficult time, allowing it to make crucial equipment upgrades and reopen for its vulnerable clients.
Opened in 2014, West Berkshire Therapy Centre is a not-for-profit therapy gym for people with disabilities in West Berkshire.
Like all other gyms, the Centre was required to close down three times during the lockdown, which severely affected its income. This also delayed planned upgrades to its machines and disrupted services, making it impossible for the Centre to monitor progress and improvement amongst its clients.
The funding from BCF allowed the Centre to stay afloat during this difficult time by helping to cover core costs and staff salaries. Equipment upgrades were finally completed in November 2020, making digital displays on the machines easier for elderly and partially sighted clients to read. Staff also worked hard to make the Centre COVID-compliant to help its users, many of whom are clinically very vulnerable, feel safe in using the gym.
Since the Centre reopened in April 2021, it has provided about 150-160 exercise sessions a week to clients, down from 250 sessions pre-pandemic. Gym footfall is currently 60% of pre-lockdown traffic, a ratio that is consistent with organisations who cater to the elderly, weak and medically vulnerable.
Despite this, the value of the Centre’s work is very evident. In a recent survey, 86% of users said that, since returning to the Centre, they felt emotionally better. Eighty-five percent said their pain had reduced and 91% said that it had increased their social interaction. Most recently, Dr Deepak Ravindran, Long COVID lead at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, has decided to refer 100 Long COVID patients to the Centre as part of a study into the impact of power-assisted exercise on recovery in Long COVID patients.
"I am so grateful that West Berkshire Therapy Centre has reopened. My mobility dropped right down during the lock downs, but I'm picking up physically really well again and I also feel a lot happier. Every town needs a place like this."
"Every day that we are open, clients tell us how grateful they are for the service we provide. Financial support from Berkshire Community Foundation has helped us to remain resilient and retain our staff while we operate at reduced capacity. The equipment upgrades we carried out allow us to provide many extra exercise options and to provide better information to our clients about how their muscles are working. All hugely important. Thank you Berkshire Community Foundation!"
In its 2020-2021 financial year, Berkshire Community Foundation made £3.2 million in grants funding to 230 charities and groups across the county, helping to make a difference to 1.5 million people in Berkshire.
These were made as part of the Vital for Berkshire – Coronavirus Fund – aiming to help charities and community groups address the urgent issues and needs arising from the first lockdown.
Be part of something great.
If you would like to know more about how you can support causes like this, to change lives for the better in Berkshire, please get in touch.
Our website is currently offline while we work on an exciting update to celebrate our 40th year.
We are refreshing our brand and improving your experience, so things may look a little different when we return however, our commitment to quality and service remains the same.
Thank you for your patience while we make these improvements.
Need to get in touch?
Email: info@berkshirecf.org
Phone: 0118 945 0255
If you would like to know more about philanthropy in Berkshire please contact Rebecca.biggs@berkshirecf.org
If you are a wealth advisor interested in partnering with Berkshire Community Foundation please explore https://www.berkshirecf.org/professional-advisors/
If you need funding support, take a look at the grants we offer here: Available Funding
Please check back soon.
