A exercise programme transformed the life of Gosforth pensioner Norma Richardson, 76, whose MS and balance problems mean she's vulnerable to falling regularly at home.
Norma was referred to the Staying Steady classes run by the North East charity Healthworks before the pandemic, and the 27-week programme boosted her confidence so she could get out and about and live her life more freely - and she was even astounding instructors with her ability to do squats by the end.
However, after the end of the programme, the pandemic and series of lockdowns have meant her progress has fallen back a little - so she's signed up to do Staying Steady again in hope of regaining some of her lost mobility.
Norma, who attended sessions at Trinity Church in Gosforth, added: "The sessions were such a huge help - though unfortunately we've had lockdown but before then the course was wonderful, and I loved the camaraderie too. It had a huge impact on my balance.
"Obviously you start off having to hold on to things until you're able to stand on your own. It made a huge difference for me, I had much more confidence going out of the door. Sadly my balance has fallen back again but I'm starting again this month. It was so helpful for me. I would recommend it to absolutely everybody., Rory used to say I was the only woman of my age he'd ever met who could do squats!"
Rory is Rory Harrison, a senior manager at the charity who is in charge of many of its community fitness programmes - which also include a cardiac rehab class for those recovering from heart attacks and cardiac arrest. He told ChronicleLive about the sessions, saying: "What's important is that you don't need to be referred by anyone else, though you can be. People can get in touch if they have a fear of falling or actually fall and self-refer into the programme.
"The transformation we see in people is really great. Some of the people coming can be quite frail and reliant on walking aids. At the end of the 27 weeks we get them doing quite difficult exercises like lunges. We want to push the social aspect too. This is community-based and not medicalised."
Rory explained that sessions run across the city - from Healthworks' bases in Lemington and Benwell to Trinity Church and then East End Pool in Byker. While he said the groups are popular, he also felt it was important to ensure that people in the city's more deprived areas were aware of the support on offer.
Susan Davison - a physio at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust - is also involved in the sessions. She explained how having this sort of help available in the community had huge benefits. She said: It's trying to improve people's lives - the risk of falling can have a huge impact on quality of life.
"This is a way of keeping people out of hospital and ensure they can live safely at home as long as possible. We know that some people are just never the same after a fall and a stay in hospital, so it's about preventing that."
To find out more about the Staying Steady classes and other support on offer from Healthworks, visit healthworksnewcastle.org.uk.
Do you worry about falling at home? Let us know how you manage in the comments below
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