HEALTH & BEAUTY


‘‘Sitwell Rotary Club have donated over £5,000 to Breathe Easy which has helped fund days out or buy walking aids for those who struggle with their mobility’’


been taken over by the NHS, the centre has supported thousands of people across the borough by offering respite stays in their 20 private bedrooms that wrap around the open and airy atrium. “What people love about


coming here is the continuity, privacy and dignity they receive. Treatment is gentler and all of the staff understand the different lung conditions so they can help to take away any uncertainty we might be feeling. “It’s become like a private


hospital for many but one where you don’t get forgotten about once you’re discharged,” Wilma says. Along with respite stays,


Breathing Space offers oxygen testing clinics and pulmonary rehabilitation courses in the on- site gym overlooking the tranquil gardens. They also run weekly Tai Chi classes and a choir which both promote breathing and relaxation techniques. But for Breathe Easy, they use


the building as a community hub, a place for members to get together once a month for a catch up. Every monthly meeting is


different; the group welcome guest speakers, go on outings or just have a catch up to see how one another are getting on. Some come regularly but


others may only need to use the service once. “If people gain something from


their visit to Breathe Easy then that’s worthwhile to me. We have some


ladies whose late husbands were members and they still continue to attend even after their passing,” Wilma says. To continue to provide this lifeline


to the people of South Yorkshire, Breathe Easy has been supported by Rotherham Sitwell Rotary Club for the past three years. Rotarian Gurnam Basran


is a former chest physician at Rotherham Hospital and so knew of Breathing Space through his work. Wilma was also a patient of his and so he was aware of the support group she ran. During former GP Yogesh


Bhimpuria’s presidency, he nominated the British Lung Foundation as one of his chosen charities – Breathe Easy being a local organisation which the BLF supports. Some Rotarians knew of


Breathing Space or had family members who had used the exceptional facilities, such as secretary Tony Jackson whose mother Betty recovered from a chest infection there; a service she has not stopped commending since. While others, just like a lot of the


general public, never even knew it existed or wouldn’t have known what happened inside. During their three-year


campaign, Sitwell Rotary Club have donated over £5,000 to Breathe Easy which has helped fund days out or buy walking aids for those who struggle with their mobility. It is a prime example of their


Sitwell Rotary presenting a cheque


motto – service above self. Members such as Wilma get up


and do, despite their health which might see them having an oxygen supply for anything up to 16 hours a day. But they continue on, sticking


together like a big family to get each other through the hurdles they may face.


WHAT’S ON:


Breathe Easy meet every third Monday of the month at Breathing Space, Badsley Moor Lane, Rotherham S65 2QL, 2pm-4pm.


The physiotherapists at Breathing Space run a coffee and a catch up social afternoon every four weeks from 1.30pm. Admission


is £1 which include refreshments, a quiz and a game of bingo.


Breathing Space choir – every Monday 11am-12pm.


Tai Chi classes at Breathing Space: Monday 3.30pm-4.30pm, Tuesday 2.30pm-3.30pm


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