Macclesfield resident with cerebal palsy gets new lease of life

Rob Williams, a 63-year-old living with cerebral palsy and epilepsy, has been given a new lease of life thanks to the work of exercise instructors at Belong Macclesfield.
Rob, who lives in a private rented apartment at neighbouring Canalside View, with support from the Rossendale Trust, had long been struggling with poor balance and co-ordination as well as other health concerns such as asthma, which led to multiple falls. He struggled to live or function independently due to the restrictions of his conditions, and had very limited control over his movements. To help him overcome some of his day-to-day difficulties, support workers referred Rob to the exercise team at Belong Macclesfield, feeling that they were best suited to work with his specific exercise requirements.
Barbara Tait, Lead Exercise Instructor at Belong Macclesfield, commented: “When Rob arrived with us he had limited strength and poor mobility, which restricted his involvement in activities. We started working with him to improve his strength and co-ordination to reduce the number of falls and to help him live more independently.”
Rob started attending the exercise studio at Belong Macclesfield in 2014 and was soon going to sessions twice a week. After a comprehensive assessment, Rob started working specifically on controlled movements with weights and balance exercises, as well as improving his overall fitness using the cardiovascular machines.
Rob now completes his exercise with the support of Belong Exercise Instructor, Jody Stock. Speaking of the sessions, she said: “We’ve seen some really fantastic progress with Rob. His mobility and balance have improved dramatically since we started our sessions. He seems to really enjoy our sessions and I’m delighted to have been able to give him the support he needs.”
This has been echoed by the support workers at Canalside View, who have noticed the improvements and are thrilled with the difference it has made to Rob. Key Worker for Rob, Cathy Baskerville, commented: "Rob enjoys not only the social aspect of his sessions at the Belong exercise studio, but also feels he is benefiting from an overall improvement in fitness, especially upper body strength.”
Barbara added: “We’re delighted with the way Rob has responded to the sessions because many people assume that, with a condition like cerebral palsy, it is difficult to improve the problems associated with it. Rob’s progress really challenges that perception, and it shows that when two care facilities work together, a real difference can be made to an individual’s life, which is why we are so committed to what we do.”