City stars pitch in with multi-gym for patients
FOUNDATION DONATION HELPED BUY EQUIPMENT
STARS from promoted Leicester City pitched in to help launch a piece of gym equipment designed to boost mental health patients’ physical wellbeing.
The Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Foundation, set up in memory of the club’s late owner, made a donation towards the new multi-gym at the Bradgate mental health unit.
Players Patson Daka and Harry Souttar joined club ambassador Alan “the Birch” Birchenall to try out the equipment, which gives the Bradgate’s 150 inpatients new options to get or keep fit as part of their mental health recovery.
The multi-gym offers a series of weight-based exercises to complement the gym’s treadmills, cycling and rowing machines during supervised sessions.
Free weights cannot be used in the gym for health and safety reasons.
Patson said: “This is an amazing facility. The staff here do things that make a huge difference to people’s lives.
“Everyone needs to take care of their physical and mental health.
“Coming here has been an eyeopener for me. It’s been nice to speak to the staff and service users and to have conversations with them about how the unit supports people.”
Mark Shenton, the gym’s instructor, said: “This is going to make a vast difference to service users.
“Exercise is very important. You are releasing endorphins and serotonin.
“If you do exercise it helps your motivation, your confidence, it helps
you to be happier. The multi-gym brings back a bit of normality to some people.
“The new equipment has been very popular. It’s made a very big difference to our patients, motivating more of them to get fit and healthy and supporting patients with their recovery. I would like to thank the Vichai Foundation and Leicester City for making it possible.”
The Bradgate, which is run by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT), offers its patients a range of other options to improve their physical health, including supervised walks, dietary advice, help to stop smoking, Tai chi, low level circuits, stretch and get up and go sessions.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Foundation paid £3,888 towards the
multi-gym’s cost of £5,211, with the remainder coming from Raising Health, the charitable arm of LPT.
A spokesman said: “The charity fundraises to support care initiatives, equipment and innovations which go above and beyond core NHS provision to enhance the experience of our patients, service users and staff.”