From relaxing wheelchair walks around the stunning Cumbrian lakes to adrenalin-rushing abseiling and zip wiring, Calvert Trust – Outdoor Activity Centre, Keswick has everything designed specifically for the disabled

Set within the stunning Bassenthwaite Lake, overlooking the majestic Skiddaw mountain range the centre has over 3,500 people visiting each year and caters to people of all ages with sensory, learning or physical disabilities, including those with the most complex needs where other outdoor centres cannot supply.

‘The carers take part in all activities and we’ve even had people in their 80s come and enjoy themselves’

Justin Farnham, sales and marketing manager for the centre told homecare.co.uk: “We take disability groups from any age and any disability including learning, physical and sensory.

“We have a combination of school groups, charity groups and adult individuals who may come with a care home, on their own or with a friend or family member or carer. The carers take part in all of the activities and we’ve even had people in their 80s come and enjoy themselves.”

There are many activities at the centre with all groups enjoying a variety of single and multiple instructor-led activities. Each activity group has a dedicated instructor with them for the duration of their stay, allowing staff to get to know every individual. Mr Farnham said: “We have everything you’d expect, horse riding, abseiling, zip wire, canoeing, accessible cycling and high ropes.”

‘I’ve got a gentleman who is 73 years old and had never been on holiday’

Calvert Trust was created for disabled guests to enjoy the benefits of outdoor activities in a safe and accessible, yet challenging environment. “We can do it all,” says Mr Fanham. “Down by the jetty, if we have a wheelchair user, we have a hoist to get people in and out of canoes and we can put people in a hard-backed chair.

For more information visit the homecare.co.uk website

Alzheimer’s Research UK and Dementia UK are calling on the government to prioritise dementia research, in the wake of a new report revealing the number of people with the condition in the UK and across Europe will double by 2050.

According to the report, the number of people with dementia in the UK is set to rise to nearly two million by 2050, while in Europe the number is expected to rise to over 16 million.

Following the Conservatives’ 2019 election pledge to double dementia research funding, Alzheimer’s Research UK launched its Delivering the Dementia Moonshot report, outlining six priority areas for the UK government’s research funding.

These priorities are:

• To find ways to detect the diseases that cause dementia 10-15 years earlier and to broaden the search for new treatments.

• Intervene with those most at risk of developing dementia.

• Make the UK the best place to conduct clinical dementia research.

• Further our understanding of dementia risk reduction and prevention and dementia in the context of multimorbidities.

• Find ways to more effectively validate novel targets in early drug development to maximise chances of successful clinical trials

• Expand research infrastructure to maintain the UK’s position as a world leader in dementia research.

To read more visit the homecare.co.uk website