B
rain injury patients from
Morriston Hospital have this
season been digging a new
programme delivered by the
Swans Community Trust.
Running once a week at the hospital’s
Brain Injury unit, the programme sees
patients take part in light physical
exercise sessions and nutrition
workshops as well as a horticultural
project to renovate the unit’s garden.
The programme – which is delivered by
our Sign Up To Success and Inclusion
projects – has not only transformed the
garden, but also the participants.
“We’ve worked with the staff at the Brain
Injury unit at Morriston Hospital to
design a bespoke programme which will
benefit the health and wellbeing of all the
patients at the unit,” explained Richard
Jones, the Trust’s senior inclusion
manager who runs the Inclusion project,
funded by the Premier League and BT.
“The programme we are delivering
combines tailored physical activity, which
takes into consideration each patient’s
medical needs, an hour-long nutrition
workshop, followed by a two-hourhorticultural workshop, which is helping
to transform the garden area.”
Dawn Thomas, a health trainer from the
Community Trust, added: “The aim is to
firstly improve their confidence, build
their communication and team-working
abilities, whilst helping them to keep
active in an interesting and focused
manner.”
In addition to helping with physical
wellbeing, the course also provides a
safe and social environment, where
participants can meet people who have
been through similar experiences.
“My life was stolen from me,” said one
patient, George Rowlands, who suffered
a brain injury 21 years ago.
“Coming here, however, has given me
the opportunity to meet other people with
brain injuries. When I first arrived here, I
was shy and would sit in the corner and
just watch everyone else.
“I could see a bit of myself in every
single person and that’s when I started
learning things about myself. I have
spoken to people who have just started
their journey to recovery and I’m able to
help them, which I find so rewarding.“I now look forward to coming to these
sessions because I know I’m going to
see my friends.”
Another patient, former boxer Jonny
Williams, added: “I feel a lot better since
coming here as I can relate to people and
what has happened to them.
“In normal everyday life, people don’t
understand what you’re going through,
but when you come here, people are all
on the same level of understanding.
“It’s given me a huge confidence boost
and I’ve been able to start college.”
Dawn finished: “Being able to play a
small part in changing people’s lives for
the better is absolutely amazing and
seeing people progressing week by week
is something that we all take great pride
in.
“I’m really excited to run more
programmes like this in the future.”
For more information about our Sign Up
To Success project, please contact
[email protected] or
[email protected].
For more information about our Inclusion
project, please contact
[email protected].BRAIN INJURY PATIENTS DIGGING INHOW SIGN UP TO SUCCESS HAS HELPED
BRAIN INJURY PATIENTS
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