Gloucestershire charity says more awareness for Parkinson’s is needed
The Cirencester and Stroud Branch of Parkinson’s UK say not enough people know about the condition
The Cirencester and Stroud branch of Parkinson’s UK say more awareness needs to be raised about the condition.
It’s after they’ve set up a ping pong club for locals with the disease to help them get some exercise.
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects movement, causing symptoms like tremors, slowness of movement, and stiffness, due to a loss of brain cells that produce dopamine.
According to Parkinson’s UK there are around 155,000 people with the disease in the UK and around 2,100 in Gloucestershire.
Kevin Young, chair of the branch, said research showed regular exercise, including sports like table tennis, could improve mobility, coordination and overall well-being for people with Parkinson’s.
“We know it’s beneficial for people with Parkinson’s to remain active if possible for at least two and a half hours per week as a minimum,” said Kevin.
“It really does help to slow down the effects of the condition, so we are trying to increase the number of activities they do by giving them a menu of choice and they choose what they want to take part in.”
He told Greatest Hits Radio “Theres still not enough information about what is Parkinson’s.
“Not enough understanding of if someone has Parkinson’s, what do they do, what is it.
“Unfortunately, it’s misunderstood by many people in the community.”
The charity say they can have a hard time getting volunteers with it sometimes taking up to a year to fill a spot, they encourage anyone who may be interested to get in touch.