Household Insurance Team Leader for TH March, Lorraine, recently spent her morning volunteering with Parkinson’s UK at their local meeting spot at St Bartholomew’s Church in Milehouse. With personal ties to the charity, she spent her time there assisting with exercise sessions, giving out refreshments, and getting to know the attendees and the people who ran the sessions.
It’s estimated that 153,000 people in the UK live with Parkinson’s (Parkinson’s UK, 2024). The illness is caused by nerve cells in the brain that are in charge of dopamine production when they stop working and eventually die. It’s characterised by over 40 symptoms – but the main three are tremors, slowness of movement and rigidity.
The charity was set up in 1969 by a woman called Mali Jenkins, whose sister, Sarah suffered with Parkinson’s. Upon looking for support she found an alarming lack of resources and thus she founded the charity we know today.
Today, Parkinson’s UK’s main aim as a charity is to find a cure for the disease and improve life for those affected. Aided by scientists, fundraisers, carers, clinicians and kind volunteers such as Lorraine, the organisation has made great strides in making things better for suffers of the awful disease and those affected as a result.
Here’s what Lorraine had to say about her morning:
“I had a successful morning with the Parkinson’s group which meet on a Tuesday morning at St Bartholomew’s Church in Milehouse. This is the group that my dad used to attend.
I helped set up chairs and tables, assisted with the exercise session and refreshments and helped clear away. I also spoke with many of the attendees, including the physio and a lady called Daisy from Parkinson’s UK.
We spoke about what I could do for the next half day and the have a social in December. We discussed the possibility of me singing some Christmas tunes for them.”
Thank you, Lorraine for doing the company proud and helping out in the community – we look forward to hearing about your future involvement with Parkinson’s UK!
See more of what TH March gets up to in the community by clicking here.
If you or a loved one are struggling to cope with the strain that Parkinson’s brings, you can follow this link to access resources and get help:
https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/information-and-support