Keith and Christine O’Neil are a couple who attend Chesterfield FC Community Trust’s Senior Spireites programme, hosted on Wednesdays and Fridays at the SMH Group Stadium.
The Senior Spireites programme involves activities such as chair-based exercise, bingo and trips for anyone aged 55.
Christine spoke about how Keith was first introduced to the programme, saying: “Keith was referred by my occupational therapist from the mental health unit. He had a breakdown and then he’s had a working shunt in his head to try and stop him falling so the idea was just to get him out into the community.
“Initially, Keith had a support worker with him at the Senior Spireites sessions for several weeks, until he became confident enough to go on his own and make friends. It was the exercises that really helped Keith. Oli Barnes and Olly Parkinson, who run the sessions, have been brilliant with him.”
Keith added: “It’s had a big impact on my life, since I first started attending, and it picked me up from having nothing to having something to get involved in every week.”
After seeing the impact that the Senior Spireites programme had on Keith’s life, Christine started to attend with her husband. She said: “I was Keith’s carer, and I used to bring him and pick him up. Sometimes I’d go in and have a cup of tea at the end and I kind of got to know Andrea Parkinson, Olly and Oli.
“Then I had a stroke in January, and I wasn’t able to do anything and then the head of community, Jayne Bacon, urged me come down to the stadium and join in with the sessions.
“At first, I couldn’t do the exercises because I couldn’t lift my leg. And so, I’d stay at the back, and I’d kind of do what I could. But I never felt pressured to have to do all the exercises. It was just so inclusive for everybody and their abilities.
“Now I can do all of the exercises, and in fact, I think coming to these sessions has taught me to walk again – it has changed my life, which is just incredible.”
Christine also spoke about the sense of community that her and Keith feel when coming to the sessions, commenting: “You get to meet people in similar positions to yourself, which is brilliant for your mental health.
“Sharing your experiences and even advice with others can really help both mentally and physically and vice-versa. Somebody in the session recommended the Stroke Association to me.”
Praising other programmes hosted by Chesterfield FC Community Trust, Christine said: “There is so much going on and it’s amazing to see the impact that the Trust has on the whole local community.”
