Walking football sessions in Glossop to help those living with Parkinson's disease

BeWell Glossop organised their first ever walking football session aimed at those with Parkinson’s and other similar neurological conditions.

The initiative was set up to allow those with the disease to get involved with physical activity, in an environment they feel comfortable with.

With support from Derbyshire County Council and Parkinson’s UK, BeWell helped organise the match at Whaley Bridge Football Club.

There was a good turnout for the event, with a number of local people coming down and getting involved, including former MP Ruth George.

Mick Owen, from BeWell Glossop, said, “The launch went really well, and our guests all seemed to enjoy their first taste of Walking Football.

“We were particularly pleased that both our funders – Parkinson’s UK and Derbyshire County Council – were represented and that the local social prescribing team were able to join us as they will help spread the word about the session and the value of adding physical activity to your weekly routine.”

One of the participants in the session, Wes Vernon, who is living with Parkinson’s, said, “I thoroughly enjoyed it, I have been to regular walking football sessions in the past and they are a little quick for me but this one was ideal.

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“I tend to fall over whilst playing sometimes and everyone is so understanding, they are quite happy to stop play while I get back to my feet.

“It’s just a nice, relaxed atmosphere, there’s no pressure to perform and you can even drop out for a rest if you’re feeling overtired.”

“It’s fantastic because it gets people like me off the sofa, it’s so important for people with Parkinson’s to be involved in daily physical activity and this is a great way of meeting my daily exercise goal.”

The plan is for the session to become a weekly occurrence, starting from 11:30am every Tuesday, at Whaley Bridge Football Club.

Anyone is welcome to come down and join in, whether you have Parkinson’s or a similar condition or even if you’re just looking for a more relaxed version of walking football, come down and give it a go.

For more information please contact Mick Owen, one of the organisers of the session, via his email: Mick.Owen@bewellglossop.co.uk or give Mick a call on 07944 605508.