A PROJECT in Westbury, run by staff at White Horse Health Centre, provides weekly care for people with leg conditions, but also helps to tackle isolation by bringing people together for social interaction.
Westbury Leg Club is a project of the committed staff based at White Horse Health Centre, started by lead wound care nurse Anna-Marie Ivory. It has been successfully running for three years from Grassacres Hall in the town park on a Monday from 9am-12pm.
The purpose of a leg club is to provide care for people with leg problems such as ulcers, swellings and varicose veins in a social environment where they have the opportunity to meet others with similar conditions. The surgery say this has been proven to accelerate wound-healing and helps reduce isolation.
During their Monday session on 1st October, the club was joined by founder and life-long president Ellie Lindsay. Ellie created the Leg Club Foundation in 1995, which now has 30 leg clubs across the UK, with six in Australia and one in Germany.
The club is a drop-in based session, with no referral needed from a doctor; the only criteria is that you are a registered patient at White Horse Health Surgery. On arrival you will be booked in and then assessed by the staff and treated. As well as treatment, the staff try to educate patients in order to prevent further problems. Whilst you wait for treatment, there are refreshments available and a weekly raffle organised by the volunteers.
Anna-Marie Ivory, lead wound care nurse said, “The club isn’t just about treating patients with leg problems, it’s important that they get out and about and tackle social isolation. In some cases, our club is the only chance people get to leave their house. Treating people alone in a surgery environment doesn’t give them the opportunity to meet and socialise with others in similar situations to themselves.
“Whilst we have an amazing team of volunteers here who help with refreshments and the raffle, we would welcome more people to join our dedicated team. If you are interested, please contact the White Horse Health Centre and ask to leave a message for me and I can get back to you, or visit on a Monday at Grassacres Hall between 9am-12pm. All staff involved are from the surgery, it’s a great team who are highly dedicated to help the community of Westbury”
Above: Becky King, Katie Bennett, Ellie Lindsay OBE (founder of the Leg Club Foundation), Nikki Illsley, Anna-Marie Ivory, Nina Wakeford and Lynn Bullock.
