On Tuesday 11th April we welcomed guests to help us celebrate the launch of the Centre.
We are delighted to announce that the Parkinson’s Centre officially launched on the 11th April which is also World Parkinson’s Day.
To mark the occasion we were lucky enough to be joined by our patron, Mark Mardell, who is living with Parkinson’s disease. Mark is a former BBC journalist and currently co-presents the ‘Movers and Shakers’ podcast. He courageously shared his experience of Parkinson’s and the importance of the Centre in supporting people living with the condition.
Sudhir Krishnan also dialled in from Nepal on his trek to Everest Basecamp. Krish is currently undertaking the trek to raise vital funds for the Parkinson’s Centre. Krish talked about his experience of undertaking the trek and how this has impacted his Parkinson’s symptoms. We are very proud of all that he has achieved!
Rosie Duffield MP presented us with a plaque to mark the occasion and spoke of the impact the Centre will have on the community. We were also grateful to Cllr Anne Dekker, Lord Mayor of Canterbury, for joining us at the event.
Over lunch, Canterbury Skylarks performed for attendees and also encouraged the audience to join in! Skylarks are a singing group for people with Parkinson’s and will run regular singing sessions at the Centre.
Our therapy team were on hand to meet with the community and answer their questions about the therapies on offer. We also showcased some new digital health technology for Parkinson’s including an app to help track symptoms, cueing therapy to aid balance (Stroll), and neurostimulation devices.
Thank you to all those who attended and supported the event. The event was extremely well attended so we are currently editing our video footage of the speeches so we can share these with everyone.
To start accessing therapies at the Centre register here: Become a Member – Parkinson’s Centre – University of Kent
To support Krish’s trek please donate here: Sudhir Krishnan is fundraising for The University of Kent (justgiving.com)
