THE kind-hearted gesture of a bereaved Redditch family is set to provide valuable support for residents living with multiple sclerosis.
Bill Eades passed away in January but now his family have donated the funds raised from his funeral to Redditch Borough Council’s MS exercise class in honour of him being one of its founding members and attending every week.
The classes started more than 10 years ago, when the council partnered with medical professionals to provide targeted exercise for people with MS.
The workouts are designed for different levels of mobility and provide a set circuit so participants never have to do anything they’re uncomfortable with.
An unexpected outcome of the class is the friendships made by participants and their carers, to form a fantastic, unofficial support group.
During the pandemic, classes continued to run via Zoom at a cost of £2.50 per participant but the money raised in Bill’s honour will be used to run these virtual sessions for free, for as long as the funds last.
And with £400 raised at Bill’s funeral it means approximately 20 free sessions for every member of the group.
“Bill was a wonderful member of our MS class and he will be sadly missed by everyone,” said Hayley Gwilliam, physical activity development officer at the council.
“Often people don’t get referred to us until they start physiotherapy.
“As a result, MS can feel quite lonely and this group brings together like-minded people, living with and smiling through similar issues. If you have MS and want to know anything about grants, medication or research – this group is the place to be!”
Portfolio holder for leisure services, Councillor Mike Rouse, said: “On behalf of the leisure team at Redditch Borough Council I want to pay tribute to Mr Eades and his family, to whom we send our continued condolences but also our sincere thanks for their generosity and thoughtfulness towards others.”
For more on the MS classes visit http://www.redditchbc.gov.uk/MS
