Thousands of people live with Parkinsons in the UK but for many, the right treatment is out of reach. Were determined to change that - we need your help to establish the worlds first integrated therapy centre offering comprehensive support to those that need it most, while developing new treatments that could give extra hope to so many worldwide.

The need

Parkinsons disease is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. There are around 145,000 people living with the disease in the UK, and diagnosis rates are set to almost double by 2065. The disease can affect anyone at any age, with thousands of people under 40 diagnosed each year. Despite some aspects being manageable with medical support, there is sadly still no cure.

People with Parkinsons experience a loss of nerve cells in parts of their brains which can cause tremor, slowness of movement and muscle rigidity. Non-motor symptoms such as fatigue, speech and memory loss, pain and swallowing difficulties are common. Many report mental health problems and up to 50% of people with Parkinsons will suffer from anxiety or depression at some point during their condition.

In the early stages of the disease, the motor symptoms can be partly managed with drug medication although these can produce unwelcome side effects and are not used by everyone. Other symptoms affecting sleep, mood, pain and memory are much harder to manage with drug therapy and are a major burden to many people with Parkinsons. Non-invasive brain stimulation, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and psychotherapy can all help manage these problems and are in high demand, but they are often difficult to access and are rarely found together.

Our solution

Based at the University of Kent in Canterbury, the Parkinson's Centre for Integrated Therapy will offer a new approach, bringing together a range of evidenced treatments and wellness resources under one roof for those that need it most. The Centre will provide free treatment for people with Parkinsons combining ground-breaking neurostimulation techniques delivered by Professor David Wilkinsons team with longer-standing therapies such as physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, group exercise, group singing, physiotherapy, art therapy, mental health therapy and nutritional therapy.

The work of the Centre will also help us better understand how to combine different types of therapies , and will provide educational opportunities to train the next generation of healthcare practitioners and scientists in how best to care for people with Parkinsons.

Impact

The Parkinsons Centre for Integrated Therapy will be a beacon of hope for thousands of people both in the UK and internationally. In partnership with the University of Kent, we want this service to be available to as many people as possible as quickly as possible to help improve their quality of life and halt the progression of symptoms associated with the disease.

Support us

We urgently need your support to open the Parkinsons Centre for Integrated Therapy by the first quarter of 2022. We have made a head start with a generous donation from the charity and the alumni and friends of the University of Kent - however your support could make all the difference in helping us provide treatment to those that need it most.

Please help us to raise £600,000 to launch and run this ground-breaking new centre which could be central to the future of how Parkinsons is treated in the UK.

For more information, please visit www.parkinsonscare.org.uk/parkinsonscentre