Janet Mcculley

Janet is seventy-one and has had Parkinsons Disease for ten years. Previously, she ran half-marathons and swam to raise money for charities and for the school where she was head teacher. Janet moved to Bude, in 2007 - a beautiful place but isolated and with an ageing population and negligible facilities for people with long-term, restricting health conditions. In October 2009 Janet and four friends held an open meeting and applied for grants to run free exercise classes for people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons Disease, heart conditions, and the like. The group started with one class and twelve clients. Now it runs four classes with over one hundred clients. Janet helps a luncheon club, a 'Carry on Cookery' group and several childrens' activities. Spare time is spent applying for grants to keep the facilities going! Carrying the torch would be a clarion call for the elderly to participate in more exercise, despite health issues.