The Trin has been awarded £2,500 from the Care Plus Group Charitable Trust to help fund weekly exercise classes tailored to support people with a range of conditions including diseases such as Parkinson’s and Muscular Sclerosis. Funding for the project was initially provided by alternative organisations and ran for a year before ending in November 2021. Despite launching the project throughout the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was a huge success. New funding has been sought from the Care Plus Group Charitable Trust, which has gone towards covering half the project costs to ensure The Trin can continue to run these sessions during a time people need their support more than ever. The Trin has two exercise classes per week, with 6-10 people taking part in the Monday 2-4pm session, and 15-20 people attending the Friday 1-3pm class. Monday’s session incorporates boxing exercises which are good for people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, with Friday's class focusing more on Pilates. Each class comprises an hour's exercise followed by a drink, biscuit, and the opportunity to talk to and support one another. The latter being a really important element for participants and one reason for its success. As well as supporting participants with their physical health, feedback from participants identified the importance of the social elements with sessions supporting mental health and reducing isolation for people with life-limiting conditions and their caregivers.
Andy Cox, General Manager at The Trin, said: "I would like to add my sincere thanks to Care Plus Group Charitable Trust for supporting this group. The nature of the classes and those that attend it mean that running costs are high due to the fact that staff are highly trained and the building is only used at that time for this group. The group value the sessions to the extent they organise their own fundraising efforts, this also contributes to the running costs of each class."
Neil Cartwright, Trustee of Care Plus Group Charitable Trust, said: “We are so proud to see the success of this group as it goes from strength to strength. So successful that they are struggling to fit another chair in, great work, as usual, from Andy and the incredible team at The Trin." Explore how the Charitable Trust could support your health and wellbeing project to improve the lives of others across Lincolnshire at https://www.cpgcharitabletrust.org/who-we-support