New beginnings, for a brighter healthier community
Hello everyone.
It has taken me almost a year to get to this point to find the courage and dignity to ask for help. I have thought about setting up a ‘GoFundMe’ page for a long time, reflecting on why I need to do this, the potential benefits it would mean to me and my family, my community, and how my family and friends would view and feel about such a request. I am an absolute beginner at anything regrading social media, iPhones, and a true technophobe but I am stepping out of my comfort zone and I am going to explain why.
The reason I have contemplated about starting up this page for so long is my pride. I am a single parent of 2 wonderful boys (ages 17, and 20 years) whom I love with all my heart. I am also responsible and care for another boy (since he was 15 when his mum passed away). He is now also 21 and I love him like my own. I have always been hard working and have a good work ethic and I have tried to instil this in all 3 boys. I believe that nothing comes to those who are not prepared to work hard and strive for excellence in all they do – however, a kind lady last year (you know who you are ) also informed me that sometimes, it’s okay to ask for help and it is due to her (and a few honest chats with a cup of coffee) that the idea of asking for help and to setting up a ‘GoFundMe’ page would not be seen as ‘pleading or begging’ (my words) but a chance for me to improve myself, start my ‘project’, realise my dreams and enhance my working life.
My ‘project’/dream has always been to have a small studio in my garden so that I can work from home to help people with mobility issues, dysfunction, pain and mental well-being. I have worked very hard for several years to try and kick-start my project but as a single parent of 3 boys with numerous overheads/bills (as everyone has), the chances of me saving to build my vision of a studio really is non-existent and as each year passes, I feel that I am less likely to bring this concept to life. I cannot apply for another loan as I have a loan outstanding (new windows/doors as they were rotten) which I am paying off. I have also recently been made redundant so the cost of building the studio is also related to my sudden change in employment circumstances (please continue reading if you have the time).
Until last year I had two main employments. I worked for a local Spa (for 10 years as a physiotherapist) in addition to working in the NHS (past 19 years as a physiotherapist). Due to Covid-19 and the pandemic I was made redundant from the local spa (my income significantly dropped but my outgoings stayed the same, so I am deeply empathetic to those who also found themselves in this situation). I was able to gain some additional hours in the NHS due to the crisis of the pandemic, but it was not a match for my redundant hours from the local spa. I have worked the hardest I have ever worked in the last year (due to Covid-19 and the pandemic). I stepped up to support the NHS in the covid outbreak (as many other key workers did not just NHS workers, but shop workers, refuse collectors, cleaners, lorry/delivery drivers to name a few – we all played a significant role). I was redeployed twice, the first time was in the community where I was on the front line seeing covid patients in their homes and in care homes within our community and the second time I was redeployed I was worked in the ‘urgent community response team’ seeing a manner of all conditions (musculoskeletal, neurological, mental health) with the emphasis on avoiding hospital admissions. Both redeployments were challenging and I willing went where I was needed without question.
At the start of lock down last year I had been having ‘odd’ medical symptoms. I was prescribed medication by my GP and sent for a MRI scan. The result was a possible small pituitary tumour. I was devastated reading the returning letter, but I continued to work throughout lock down. I did inform 5 close friends and my wonderful sister (thank you all for listening and being there). I have had another MRI with dye contrast recently and thankfully the size of my pituitary gland has decreased, and the clinical impression now is pituitary swelling, and I am now under endocrinology.
On reflection, (looking positively), the pandemic, my health and my work goals has made me re-evaluate what is really important to me, which is my passion for physiotherapy and helping people to adopt healthy lifestyles. However, I have accepted that my vision will require me asking for help from family, friends, and the kindness of strangers if I am to fulfil my ambition of having a studio where I can educate people on mind and body and provide advice, techniques, and exercise (small sized class of 8-10 people) to help people to maintain a healthy, active life.
What this will mean to my community
Powered by your donations, I pledge to:
1. Use a local builder. The ‘building’ of the studio will be given to a local builder to help with keeping everything in the community and provide trade to local tradespeople. I have had quotes and depending on the requirements it ranges from £15,000 (the studio build and finishes i.e., floors etc) to £25,000 (the studio, a toilet and waste to front of house, and finishes i.e., floors etc). I would really like to have a studio with a bathroom as this will allow clients access to a bathroom instead of using our own toilet in my house.
2. Make each session affordable and effective. These sessions will be open to all people in the local community. They will be evidence-based and run by professional, qualified instructors. Small-sized classes (8-10 people) will allow excellent supervision and focused attention. I intend to run health and lifestyle classes (Pilates, body conditioning, CV fitness classes, Yoga, meditation, wellness, counselling etc) for able bodied and non-able-bodied clients and for a variety of health conditions. I will also run 1:1 sessions for health and lifestyle and physio appointments.
3. I will run 4 free sessions a year (quarterly) for the first 3 years for local people (which they can book online – first come first served). I will pay expert professionals to come in and do alternative therapies, health and lifestyle talks and classes ranging from Pilates, nutrition, mediation, yoga, counselling etc so that local people on low or no income can still have access to information and be sign-posted onward or learn new techniques with dealing with stress, sleep issues, food intolerances etc. I would like to this as a good will gesture and give back to our community as we have a fantastic community in and around Thorpe le Soken and it will be a way of me giving back to our local community and surrounding communities. This also helps my mind set that I am not just asking for help/money to build the studio, but I feel that I am also contributing to the health, mind, and body of local people who may not otherwise be able to access this help.
By connecting and giving to this project I will strive to set up a local business which will help local people improve their health for the better. Depending on its success, I hope to extend the practice to include wellness sessions 2-3 hours for specific health conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory conditions.
What this will mean to me and my family:
By donating to my GoFundMe page, it will:
1. Empower me to take control of my project, realise my vision and allow me to sustain a future where I live in my current home maintaining stability for myself and my family (as my incoming earnings have been significantly reduced since being made redundant).
2. Demonstrate to my family that it okay to chase your dreams and ask for help, there is no shame in admitting that sometimes we all need a helping hand to make our dreams become closer to reality.
I would finally like to finish and say that ‘GoFundMe’ is the largest and safest giving page. It has a ‘guarantee’ programme. There is zero fraud and 100% protection for people donating and this should alleviate your fears/concerns regarding donating to my page (please see ‘GoFundMe’ guarantee page for small print of guarantee). Asking for help has been tough for me I have always been fiercely independent and have never asked for help since my divorce 10 years ago but asking for help now seems more settling to me now and it is a step towards my vision. Your willingness and kindness of any donations towards my goals in turn will benefit and help those in our local community.
Without the moral supports of family and friends who I have discussed about setting up this page and have encouraged me to do so have been fantastic already and without their reassurance and kind words I would not have even got this far to writing and asking for help. I will (if donations are received) update with pictures and I will try to thank everyone who donates. I fully understand that times are hard for everyone especially during this pandemic but any donation you can give will be massively and wholeheartedly appreciated, donations of any kind no matter how small will pay for a brick, paint, wood, etc – I assure you every penny will count.
Thank you for reading, in my thoughts.
Please feel free to leave comments on this page if you can. Please be kind, no negative or cruel remarks please. If it is not for you, that is cool too.
Natasha.