Summer 2024New Castleton hydro pool sessions funded for Parkinson’s sufferers

Castleton Health and Leisure Centre is now home to a long-awaited hydrotherapy pool which offers funded sessions for sufferers of Parkinson’s disease.

‘HydRose’ is the legacy of the late Rose Richardson, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the early nineties, and was advised to visit a hydrotherapy pool to help manage her pain as her condition worsened.

Rose kickstarted fundraising efforts with her husband, Dave, in 2016. Their ‘Hydro16’ campaign was awarded a £100,000 grant from Viridor Limited just six weeks before Rose passed away.

Now after raising £140,000 over the last eight years, the hydrotherapy pool has become a reality, and opened its doors at Castleton Health and Leisure Centre in April 2024.

And thanks to funding from Parkinson’s UK, people with Parkinson’s in the local area will also benefit from receiving five hydrotherapy sessions with staff assistance, although spaces are currently limited.

Local man Vincent Swift was the first client who suffers with Parkinson’s to use the new hydro pool.

His carer Joe said: “Since Vincent started to use the Hydrotherapy Spa Pool, he’s slowly seen the benefits of using the facility. “His mobility has improved marginally, there’s also been a slight reduction with the Dyskinesia and Vincent’s posture has improved slightly - also, Vincent’s seen a reduction in knee pain since starting the sessions.”

A spokesperson for the pool management team said: “After years of fundraising by Dave Richardson along with capital investment from ourselves and a much-appreciated Viridor grant as part of their Environmental Credits Scheme, it is great to fully open to the general public our new HydRose therapy facility.”

The leisure centre is currently awaiting delivery of an accessible changing bed and shower stool, so anyone requiring this is advised to book appointments ahead of time.