E Newsletter July 2015 Unfinished.Pub

St George’s Community Hydrotherapy Pool

In this issue: • Mayor and Mayoress visit. ENewsletter • User Profile - IssueSarah 12 Gale. • St George’s is honoured by a visit from the NovemberCllr Pedro 2014 Faustino visit. Mayor and Mayoress of Peterborough • Happy Days event. • Notes of thanks. th • Physio exercises. On Monday 6 July, St George’s was delighted to welcome the Mayor - • And much more... Councillor John Peach - and the Mayoress - Ms Janet Martin – to observe one of its public aquatic physiotherapy sessions. Despite a very busy schedule, the Issue 15 Mayor and Mayoress spent an hour poolside talking to staff and users. August 2015

The Mayor and Mayoress were both very interested and supportive and afterwards gave the following quotes:

The Mayor : “The St George’s Community Hydrotherapy Pool is a fantastic facility and we want to ensure that Peterborough City Council works together with the health providers and the management of the pool to improve this service to the The Mayor and Mayoress (seated on the right) observe an aquatic citizens of Peterborough.” physiotherapy session.

The Mayoress : "This facility absolutely MUST be allowed to continue to operate; it’s not until you visit and speak to those involved, that you realise just how vital a part it plays in the lives of users. The pool clearly provides a lifeline to those who are living with permanent difficulties and disabilities that most of us can't begin to imagine, but members of the public also need to be aware that it is a valuable resource available to anyone encountering temporary injury: I myself had shoulder surgery last year and have undergone knee surgery in the past ... if only I had realised just how available and accessible this facility is, I would have been the first in line to make use of St George's hydrotherapy pool ... and I have absolutely no doubt that my recovery would have been accelerated as a result. A huge "well done" to both permanent and voluntary staff who continue to make this facility available to those who need it, whether on a permanent or temporary basis. And thank you for allowing me the privilege of visiting you and your fantastic facility.”

On behalf of everyone at St George’s, we would like to express our appreciation to the Mayor and the Mayoress for your Cllr Pedro Faustino also visits St wonderful support – thank you so much! George’s. Turn to page 4. 1

User Profile Sarah Gale

Sarah enjoying a session at St George’s.

You only have to see the smile on Sarah’s face to know how very much she loves swimming at St George’s.

Sarah is one of 50 adults from a supported living or care home who attend St George’s every week. Sarah’s home, Laurel House, is a supported living home run by Positive Steps, a local company that provides placements for children and young adults with learning difficulties. She shares her home with seven other service users and 4-6 members of staff. Shannon, Sarah’s key worker says, “We live as a family - we share - it’s a real home.” Promoting independence and self worth is a priority and the work of the house is divided up. Sarah has a number of jobs for which she is responsible. Her favourite tasks include tidying her own room - in which she takes great pride - vacuuming, drying the dishes, baking, and ironing. Of course, leisure is also important and there is nothing more important to Sarah than her swimming…

Sarah has a complex genetic condition that has not been fully diagnosed and is likely to be related to autism. She has physical problems which cause some difficulty with walking, and has no verbal communication although she can use some Makaton signs and symbols. Sarah’s mum taught her to swim when she was two and she can swim up to a mile. Shannon says, “Swimming is very simply one of the main things in her life. It is 100% important. It’s her favourite hobby and a main way for her to exercise, to keep healthy, and to relax.” Shannon and fellow support worker, Agie, explain, “We can’t tell Sarah that she is coming to the pool in advance because she gets just so excited.”

Continued on the next page...

Sarah began attending public sessions when St George’s opened in 2011 and she has been coming, with her support workers, regularly ever since. Other pools are not always appropriate for her needs and can make her anxious. However, St George’s staff and users understand. Sarah attends either twice a week, or once a week if there is a trip to the cinema.

She is a very familiar and popular user who is always extremely friendly and polite. Those of us who have enjoyed sharing sessions with Sarah have delighted in her blossoming confidence and her obvious joy at the thrill, freedom, and accomplishment that she gains when swimming, using various strokes, or elegantly performing challenging underwater tasks. Sarah likes to finish her session with some relaxation in the spa. Shannon would definitely recommend St George’s. She says, “Sarah never goes without when she comes here.” She thinks that it is during her time in the water that Sarah probably experiences the most independence in her life.

We would like to thank Positive Steps and Sarah’s parents for generously agreeing to share her special story but most of all to Sarah, for brightening St George’s with her warmth, smile, and charm, and for being such an education and inspiration to others.

“Sarah benefits from the time she spends at St George's hydrotherapy, she not only uses it for exercise but for relaxation and "me" time.” Tina Murray, Manager at Laurel House.

Councillor Pedro Faustino visits St George’s

St George’s recently welcomed newly elected Councillor Pedro Faustino on his first visit the pool. Councillor Faustino, who represents Fletton and Woodston Ward, was keen to take the opportunity to learn about St George’s. Councillor Faustino said, "I was happy to see the great work that Thomas and his team do at the St George's Community Hydrotherapy Pool and to witness first hand the enormous improvements to the health of dozens of users that use the pool every week. This pool is clearly an asset to the wider Peterborough community." Micheala Fuller For two weeks in May, St George’s Community Hydrotherapy Pool welcomed Micheala Fuller as part of her work experience placement. Micheala is 16 years old and currently goes to Heltwate School, a special school that offers education to 5-19 year olds.

After coming to one of the special sessions Heltwate has at the pool on Friday afternoons, Micheala was convinced that St George’s was where she wanted to do her work experience.

Pool manager Tom caught up with Micheala at the end of her placement to ask some questions:

Q. Why did you want to do a work experience placement at the pool? A. “I was interested in helping people and I would like to be a lifeguard.”

Q. What are you currently studying at school? A. “English, Numeracy, Science, PSD [Personal and Social Development] and ICT [Information and Communi- cation Technology]. My favourite subject is literacy as it helps me to write.”

Q. Do you have any hobbies? A. “Football – I play for the Heltwate team as a striker up front and also a goalie. I enjoy being the striker! My favourite footballer is David Beckham, because he used to play for the England team and he has really good football skills. One day I would like to be a professional footballer.”

Q. What have you enjoyed about working at St George’s? A. “All of it. I really liked working at reception, and helping to take in the money and give out change. I have helped out in a shop so this was really exciting.”

Q. What have you learnt about working at the pool? A. “I have learnt all about the roles of a lifeguard, and I now know what an AED [a defibrillator] is and what it does.”

Tom says: “Micheala was a responsible and interested volunteer at the pool during her placement, undertaking a range of tasks and improving both her confidence and her knowledge base. I’d like to wish Micheala all the best in her studies and endeavours.” 4

Happy Days with Pool Volunteer Andrew King

Happy Days is an event that helps people with a learning disability to find out about local health in a fun and interactive way. Deborah Gallacher, Project Support Manager for Learning Disability, organizes this, and

St George’s was delighted to be able to support this year’s programme at the Town Hall.

Andrew King, St George’s volunteer Deborah Gallagher with Andrew King at the Happy Days event. receptionist and his Circles Network support worker, Sarah, took time out of their busy schedule to join the team at the event. Andrew was once again a great role model and ambassador for the pool, promoting hydrotherapy and the benefits of volunteering to everyone taking part.

Deborah spent time finding out about St George’s, Andrew and his work and afterwards wrote, “I’d like to thank Karen Oldale and team for their continued support at Happy Days – keeping people with a learning disability healthy event on 12 th June 2015. Karen has attended all four of the Happy Days events promoting and raising awareness of the benefits of accessing hydrotherapy and physiotherapy sessions at the St George’s Pool. It is always a delight to have Karen attend our events and this year it was an additional pleasure to meet Andrew King and to learn about his voluntary work on the reception desk at

St George’s. Keep up the good work.”

And indeed Andrew is: As regular newsletter readers and customers who come on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings will know, Andrew has now worked on the reception desk at St George’s for two years. His natural warmth, charm, organizational skills and impeccable good manners have made him a favourite with

St George’s customers and a key member of the team.

This is a view endorsed by Thomas, St George’s Manager, who in Circles Network’s newsletter wrote, “Andrew is a delight and a huge asset to St George’s Community Hydrotherapy Pool and to the wider community. He embodies all that makes the pool a special place for many people in the area – humorous, approachable, caring and organised, and it is no wonder that customers are always asking how Andrew is. Long may he continue to thrive at St George’s!”

Facts and figures If you would like to find out more about the work that • Over 2,500 customers have self- Circles Network carries out, you can visit their website at http://goo.gl/4rSVq8 referred to St George’s Community Hydrotherapy Pool since opening in 2011.

• Around 300 customers use the pool each week.

'Manager's Message Board '

Pool timetable St George’s Community Hydrotherapy Pool is currently at its most popular and busy time in its history - both for members of the public and for our private groups. On the following page is a copy of our weekly timetable for September onwards*. Sessions that are coloured in white or blue ( public ), green ( public sessions with aquatic physiotherapist ) and yellow ( aquatic fitness ) are available for anyone to book in.

*during term-time. Additional sessions are available during half-terms and holidays.

Who runs the pool? Is it a charity? St George’s Community Hydrotherapy Pool would like I am often asked these questions, and thought this would be an ideal op- to give a big warm welcome to portunity to explain briefly how the pool works. over 130 new users who have St George’s Community Hydrotherapy Pool is not a charity. In fact, it is self-referred to the pool since run and funded by Peterborough City Council, and is one of two hydro- our last newsletter in May. therapy pools in the country that is operated by a local authority the other is in Teddington in Richmond, SW London: https:// www.richmond.gov.uk/teddington_hydrotherapy_pool ) Congratulations to lifeguard Tara Stone and volunteer

receptionist Andy King, who The Friends of St George’s is a separate and supporting fundraising wing have both been working for of the pool, run by users and supporters of St George’s Community Hy- the pool for 2 years. It is drotherapy Pool. It raises money to buy pieces of equipment for the pool surprising how quickly the time for the benefit of its users and the wider community, volunteers at goes by! I would like to thank events to promote the pool and produces this wonderful newsletter. The them for their continued Friends group also runs the St George’s Community Hydrotherapy Pool excellent service at St website, and meets as a pool users forum too. All fundraising proceeds George’s.

(e.g. from our second-hand book sale at the pool and from our Summer Later this year, staff Fete) are donated to the Friends group. If you would like to get involved members Josh Staggs and Ash with the Friends group, which is open to all, please get in contact with Piper will celebrate 4 years of me so that I can put you in touch. working at the pool.

NHS referrals to restart soon On Wednesday 5th August , the The Clinical Commissioning Group has agreed a sum of £6,000 for pool will be closed until 1:30pm, as the pool to accept a small number of GP referrals for aquatic the staff will be taught some ser- physiotherapy at the pool this year. vice-relevant British Sign Language We still offer public physiotherapy sessions on Monday afternoons communication, courtesy of Nicki Sanders: (15:00 - 16:30 - see page 12). www.mysigntuition.moonfruit.com

If you have any feedback or suggestions about the pool, the services we offer or any other hydrotherapy related matter, please do not hesitate to either speak to me at the pool or send me an e-mail: [email protected]. I am very grateful for all comments you would like to make.

The pool timetable (as of September 2015)

Don’t forget! St George’s Summer Fête and Open Day

On Saturday 15th August from 10am 3pm we will be holding our annual Summer Fête and Open Day at the pool.

This year we are raising money to buy essential equipment for the pool, including a life-saving ‘torpedo-buoy’ and new rails for our shower trolley.

Last year’s event was a great success, and this year promises to be equally as popular, with a whole range of stalls for you to browse. Along with our famed tombola, we will have refreshments on sale, there will be a hand- made cards and crafts stall as well as some individually run stalls, and if the weather is nice, we will turn on the barbeque.

All donations for the stalls are very welcome. With the exception of refreshments, we ask that if you have any donations to give to the stalls, please hand them in to the pool by Tuesday 11th August so that our volunteers can set up for the day.

Parking will be available nearby in St George’s School car parking area (on Lawn Avenue).

We look forward very much to seeing you on the day.

Exercise in warm water could reduce blood pressure

Research now shows that exercising in warm water could reduce high blood pressure.

High blood pressure (a reading of 140/90 or higher) affects around one in four middle-aged adults and half of people aged over 65 in the UK. Untreated it can damage the heart, kidneys and brain and it is thought to be responsible for half of all heart attacks and strokes.

Some patients are able to reduce their pressure by changing their diet or by taking more exercise but many Leg stretching in aquatic fitness at St require medication. However, up to 30% of patients do George’s. not respond to pills.

Recent research, published in the International Journal of Cardiology, involved 32 people who had high blood pressure for over five years that had not responded to at least three different medications. Half the group took part in 60 minutes of exercise in a heated (32°C) pool three times a week. The remaining half carried on their normal exercise routine.

At the end of the 12-week trial, the blood pressure levels for those exercising in the warm pool had dropped significantly - on average 36/12. (A decline of just 5/2 can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by 14%.) In contrast, the group who did not exercise in water had no change. The patients who exercised in a warm pool still showed lower reading three days later.

The researchers say, “Our findings indicate that heated water-based exercise is an effective therapy in patients not responsive to drug treatment.”

It is not clear whether it was the water, the exercise, the temperature, or a combination of these that was responsible for these results. However, one theory is that heat of the water expands the blood vessels, which improves the flow of blood around the body.

The original research can be found at: http://goo.gl/bKKXR1

Aquatic Fitness at St George’s Our Aquatic Fitness classes are held on Thursdays (18:00 - 19:00) and Saturday (12:00 - 13:00). Regardless of your fitness level, Aquatic Fitness provides you with a full body workout at a pace you are comfortable with, and also helps to improve your balance. As water is 800 times denser than air, Aquatic Fitness allows you to strengthen your muscles without putting stress on your vulnerable joints, so there’s a Our popular aquatic fitness sessions are smaller risk of injury than if you were exercising on land. suitable for customers from 16+.

The cost is only £5 per person per session, so if you would like try our Aquatic Fitness, please book by calling 01733 453583.

Some notes of thanks to...

...the kind user who donated this sitting flotation aid.

This proved to be so useful and popular with our customers that the Friends have ...the Manor at Whittlesey, who kindly donated a set of shelves to display leaflets in now purchased an alternative version, reception. which allows users to lay in the water. Some Dziękuje (Thank you!) of the money recently donated by Waitrose St George's Community Hydrotherapy Pool has a

Polish translation of its information leaflet availa- was used to buy this. ble at the pool or on our website: http:// www.sgchp.btck.co.uk/IndividualBookings . Basen do hydroterapi imienia Sw Grzegorza ( St George’s Community Hydrotherapy Pool) posiada polskie tlumaczenie ultoki informacyjnej. ...Asda Living and everyone Wejdz na ponizszy link lub tez zapytaj w who supported us in their recepcji basenu. ‘Chosen by you, Given by us’ Thank you to everyone who helped with this, but scheme. The Friends of St especially to Malgorzata Kozber (Gosia) from George’s gained the most Peterborough City Council’s Public Health depart- votes and have been ment, who kindly gave up her time to help with awarded £200 – translation. fantastic news!

...Jack, Ben and Dan from Stanground Academy Pool who kindly stepped in to cover lifeguard shifts while staff were on holiday.

Postcard from Malcolm “The Sea of Fortune”

We received this super summer photograph for the newsletter from Malcolm Green. Malcolm, with his son Matthew, featured in issue 12 of the newsletter. http://www.sgchp.btck.co.uk/enewsletter/Archivee-newsletters

Malcolm began attending the hydrotherapy pool after suffering two heart attacks, two strokes, and being diagnosed with chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD). He and his family attribute many of the improvements in his health and well- being to his time at St George’s. In fact, we are delighted to report that Malcolm has now regained enough health to enable him to move back to be with his family in East Yorkshire. However, he makes regular trips to Peterborough and always takes the opportunity to book a couple of sessions at the pool during his stay.

The extent of Malcolm’s recovery can be seen by the message he sent to accompany this.

He writes, “I am at Danes Dyke (Flamborough Head) after a two mile walk. Indeed, I reflect - what a ’sea of fortune' that I discovered the undoubted qualities of St George’s. The pool, staff and fellow users helped rescue me when I was at a low ebb physically and mentally.”

We would like to wish Malcolm well with his continuing recovery.

#Missingtype

Facts and figures

Groups who use the pool regularly include:

• 11 Schools, nurseries, colleges During 8th -14th June, St George’s logo underwent a and children’s centres. surprising change. We joined National Blood week’s #MissingType campaign. All over the country the letters • 1 Baby and toddler swimming A, O and B (the letters that represent different the blood company. groups) were removed from logos online to raise awareness • 7 Residential care homes. of the lack of blood donors of these types. • 7 Day centres.

If you would like to “Do something amazing. Give blood.”, • 3 Private physiotherapy visit www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23. companies.