Inspiring People

At the Lake District Calvert Trust changing people’s lives is something they have been doing for over 30 years. Set in beautiful surroundings just outside Keswick, overlooking the wonderful Bassenthwaite Lake, this pioneering Trust aims to challenge disability through the provision of outdoor adventurous activities and has proved that neither disability nor age are barriers to enjoyment and achievement.

Visitors to the Calvert Trust are able take part in activities such as canoeing, sailing, climbing, abseiling and hill walking just to name a few, during their stay.

Putting money to good use

Recently, the Calvert Trust, the first national Charity originating in Cumbria, completed a major £3.5m Fundraising Appeal and in spring this year, proudly announced the opening of its brand new £1.8m Water Centre, featuring a sensory room and the state-of-the-art Hydrotherapy pool.

Not only is this pool a welcomed addition to the Calvert Trust, it is also a welcomed addition to the local community as it is open to the general public 7 days per week for just a small charge.

Age should not hold you back

Mr and Mrs Johnson, supporters of the trust, experienced the benefits of the new water centre first hand when Alan Johnson (91) suffered a severe stroke a year and a half ago.

“I had my stroke when I was riding my motorbike, and I didn’t even fall off," Alan told us. "I spent over a year in hospital and got told by two different doctors that I would never walk again, I had been an active swimmer and motorbike rider for many years and the thought of not being able to walk again devastated me”

First hand experience of the new facility

However, after finding out about the new Water Centre at The Lake District Calvert Trust, Alan Johnson and his wife decided to try the new pool and began to attend regularly. Over the following months Alan made an amazing recovery.

“Alan can now manage to walk across the pool unaided, and has transferred this into his physiotherapy sessions at the local hospital and can walk through the hospital corridors with only the support of the handrail. He also managed to swim for the first time last week. Its truly unbelievable!” his wife told us.

Overcoming disabilities

When asked whether this recovery would have been made possible without the use of the Water Centre Alan’s answer was clear “No, the pool at the Calvert Trust is so different to other leisure facilities, because they cater for the fact that I am a wheelchair user, I don’t feel embarrassed, or worried of holding people up. The Calvert Trust has changed my life, like it does to thousands of others, and I do hope that people keep supporting them, it is a charity at the end of the day and the amount of lives it changes - it can’t afford to go.”

Helping with recovery

The Calvert Trust added that they were delighted that Alan was benefiting from the use of their pool, and wished him all the best with his recovery. They added that it is stories like Mr Johnson’s that makes them even more determined to carry on changing the lives of people with disabilities.

Find Out More

For more information on The Lake District Calvert Trust or its Water Centre, contact 01768 772255 or visit the website www.calvert-trust.org.uk/lakedistrict