Whickham Villa News

The North East Motor Neurone Disease Trust (NEMNDT) and Whickham Villa LLP devised the pioneering scheme back in 2008 to provide sufferers, families and carers with a place to relax, spend quality time together and share experiences and access specialist therapies in a supportive setting.

Since the launch, the health club at award-winning Whickham Villa has become the home of the charity’s weekly drop-in sessions. One of the innovative aspects of the programme was that centre’s facilities and services were made available to non-residents and has since become a community hub for all users.

As part of the partnership, people living with motor neurone disease and their families get full access to the health club’s services including hydrotherapy, holistic/beauty therapies, meditation, Reiki massage and support from expert therapy staff.

Motor Neurone Disease is the name given to a group of related diseases affecting the motor neurones in the brain and spinal cord. Degeneration of the motor neurones leads to weakness and wasting of muscles. Due to the severe nature of the disease, family support, expert advice and care are essential.

Alastair Purple, founder and honory president of the NEMNDT and who lives with motor neurone disease, said: “The scheme has been a phenomenal success and I’ve had first-hand experience of the numerous benefits. I have been able to come here twice a week to make use of the swimming pool, gym, various therapeutic treatments and receive advice from medical experts.

“The key aspect of the facility is it is like a five-star health club as opposed to a clinical hospital environment. This means people look forward to coming to such a first-class setting to enjoy time with their family and receive specialist support, which ultimately helps them cope with the challenges of dealing with the disease,” added Mr Purple.

Whickham Villa has used the successful idea as a blueprint for the development of new partnerships with other voluntary organisations including the MS Society. 

Alistair McDonald, business development director at Whickham Villa LLP, said: “We are delighted to have seen the collaboration go from strength to strength over the last few years as it has benefited many people in the region that deal with this difficult disease.

“The partnership has grown into so much more than just simply supporting people by providing use of equipment and access to expert advice on how to deal with the disease. The scheme has also created a real family-orientated atmosphere that has achieved a sense of community involvement and also helped those living with the disease maintain independence by taking part in everyday activities.

“This holistic approach to care is very much apart of our ethos of achieving wellness and giving people with disabilities the opportunity to live life,” added Mr McDonald,

NEMNDT was set up to benefit people living with Motor Neurone Disease, their families and carers, solely in the North-East.  People with the disease are able to access the services through the charitable trust.

Motor Neurone Disease is progressive, but the rate of progression varies greatly from one person to another. It can affect any adult at any age but most people are over the age of 40 and the estimated number of people with the disease in the UK is up to 5,000.