A FREE information event help people better understand Parkinson’s is being held next week.
People across Ryedale who are living with Parkinson’s, or supporting someone with the condition, are invited to attend a free information event in Norton.
Organised by Parkinson’s UK’s Ryedale support group, the event aims to help people better understand Parkinson’s and learn practical ways to manage its impact.
The session will provide up-to-date information about the condition, as well as details of the local support available to people with Parkinson’s and their families across the Ryedale area.
Parkinson’s UK Local Adviser, Sue Martin, will be at the event to explain the support Parkinson’s UK can offer, and volunteers will be on hand to make sure everyone is made to feel welcome and comfortable.
Julia Parry, one of the support group volunteers, explains how she first got involved with the group.
She said: “I initially heard about the Ryedale support group when my husband, Steve, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s two years ago. We felt so isolated and alone, and started looking for people in the same situation as us who we could talk to.
“We plucked up the courage to speak to one of the group volunteers, who immediately put us at ease and suggested we come along to a meeting. The members are all at different stages of their journey with Parkinson’s, but we all find great support and comfort at the group. We share information and advice, and appreciate the support Parkinson’s UK offers to us all.
“We were made to feel so welcome when we reached out for much needed moral support that I have since put myself forward to volunteer. I hope I can make any new people who join us in March feel as welcome and comfortable as we have been.”
The event will take place from 2-3.30pm at Norton Trinity Methodist Church, 10 Plum Street, Norton, YO17 9JA on Thursday, March 12. The group always meets on the second Thursday of each month, so if people are unable to attend this event they are more than welcome to join another meeting.
There will be light refreshments available on the day, and any donations towards the costs of running the group and its monthly meetings will be welcome.
Sarah Hill, Area Development Manager - North & West Yorkshire at Parkinson’s UK, said: “Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s can be a shock and adapting to life with the condition can be hard for the person involved and their loved ones too. But we know that getting the right information and support at the right time can make all the difference.
“That’s why we’re proud to be able to offer this invitation to people across Ryedale who are living with Parkinson’s.
“It is vital that we can support everyone affected by Parkinson’s, so that together, we can move towards everyone with the condition feeling empowered to take back control of their life with Parkinson’s.”
Parkinson's is a complex brain condition that gets worse over time. It has more than 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety, and there is no cure. Someone is diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the UK every 20 minutes and by 2050, the number of people living with the condition worldwide will double to 25 million.
Parkinson’s UK is the leading European funder of Parkinson’s research and here to support every Parkinson’s journey, every step of the way. For information and support, visit parkinsons.org.uk or call the charity’s free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 0303.
For more information contact Susanne Freer on susiefreer@hotmail.com or 07703 269215, or Julia Parry on julia_parry@yahoo.com
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