STAFF and patients at Phyllis Tuckwell were thrilled when a new treadmill was donated to the hospice, delighting in particular those who attend and run its weekly physiotherapy exercise group.

The group, which meets every Thursday morning, was set up in September 2015 by physiotherapist Sue Cullum.

Sue, along with volunteers who help at the hospice, guides and monitors patients as they complete a series of activities aimed at building muscle strength, stamina and fitness levels, which many have found that their illnesses, such as cancer and also the medication which they have received to treat these illnesses, have impacted on.

The exercises are performed in a circuit, each taking two minutes with physiotherapists monitoring the participants.

Activities include using a cycling machine, walking on a treadmill or up and down a set of steps, pushing against a wall, moving from sitting to standing and lifting small hand and leg weights.

Phyllis Tuckwell patient Paul Shrubb, who suffers from motor neurone disease, has been coming to these exercise sessions since they were first introduced.

The group had started off without a treadmill but Sue felt that patients would benefit from one, so bought one second-hand one for them to try.

It proved very popular and beneficial but as it was second-hand it lacked some of the recent features that more modern treadmills have, and with such regular use it started to become unreliable, so the group had to stop using it.

Soon after it was discarded, Paul announced “I’ve ordered you a new one”. He had decided to buy the group a new treadmill, saving the physiotherapy team the money needed to purchase it themselves.

The money for the treadmill was raised by the Ash Music Festival, which Paul’s daughter and son-in-law, who own The Lion Brewery in Ash, organise every year.

The festival is held every July at Harper’s Recreation Ground and is highly popular with locals, drawing in large crowds. It features music from many local bands as well as providing a beer tent, bouncy castles and an ice cream van.

“We are thrilled, it is absolutely fantastic,” says Sue. “It’s even better than the old one, as it has different speeds options and gradient settings. We would like to thank Paul for this generous gift, which will benefit not only those who attend the exercise group but many other patients at the hospice too.”