Postcode Lottery grant helps keep Cardiac Rehab’s doors open
We have recently received a grant of £11,730 from Postcode Neighbourhood Trust, a grant-giving charity funded entirely by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. This award came from a specific grant programme the Postcode Neighbourhood Trust opened earlier this year in order to help charities delivering frontline COVID support and in appreciation of the challenging circumstances charities are facing this year.
Our work provides specialised exercise programmes and education to improve the health, fitness and well-being of people with, or at risk of developing, heart disease. These services are also of benefit to those suffering with pulmonary diseases such as COVID-19. Heart and circulatory diseases cause more than 1 in 4 of all deaths in the UK. *Being more physically active lowers the risk of developing these diseases, and aids in recovery process after a heart incident.
The grant will help us to meet the demand for classes, given the changes and increased costs of making the Centre COVID-secure, funding 180 exerciser sessions per week between now and the end of March 2021. To be COVID-secure has necessitated increased instructor ratios, reduced capacity and increased sanitisation costs, all of which have impacted on the Charity’s finances. Having this support means that we have also been able to offer outdoor and online classes to ensure as many people as possible can take part in our exercise programmes, whether recovering from heart incident, or as a preventative measure.
“Supervised, tailored exercise programmes are proven to increase fitness levels, reduce weight, waist size and blood pressure and improve wellbeing” commented Sarah Quarterman, CEO at Cardiac Rehab.” We are very grateful to receive this grant from Postcode Neighbourhood Trust and with it, we will be able to keep the Centre open. Through attending a session with us, the Exercisers will receive the encouragement they need to move more, exercise more beneficially, improving fitness in a safe way given their underlying health conditions and improve their mental health.”
