Platform awards grant to provide seated exercise for residents

Residents at a retirement living scheme in Staffordshire are set to benefit from a project that provides exercise sessions.

The project is taking place at Macgregor Tithe in Tamworth, which is owned and managed by Platform Housing Group.

The sessions have been running since last year but with funding due to run out, organisers applied to Platform’s Community Chest, a funding pot for Platform customers and local charities, clubs and other not-for-profit organisations to apply for if their work or project directly benefits Platform customers; all applications are assessed against specific eligibility criteria by customers who sit on its Customer Experience Panel.

The successful application now means that extra sessions can be funded from now until the end of September 2024.

Macgregor Tithe is home to residents who are aged 55 years and over with a range of physical and mental disabilities; the seated exercises are delivered under the umbrella of ‘Move it or Lose it’ with a mission to empower everyone, regardless of age or circumstances to stay active, physically, cognitively and socially.

Marion Duffy, Chief Operations Officer at Platform Housing Group said : “Helping to maintain the health and wellbeing of our customers is very important to us here at Platform.  We are therefore delighted to be able to fund extra sessions of these seated exercises. They help our residents to remain active and independent and bring about conversation and laughter as well as helping to address isolation and loneliness.”

Seated exercises can aid mobility as well as reduce pain and help prevent falls; they also improve muscle strength and balance.  Residents will be offered a mediation activity at the end of each session to encourage mental relaxation.

Find out more about our Community Chest here.