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Julie Jones

Celebrating the Parkinson’s community

By Lewis Walker - 11 April 2023

Each year on April 11 World Parkinson’s Day takes place to raise awareness of Parkinson’s and the challenges that it presents while also shining a light on the community that exists between those living with it.

Julie Jones, a senior lecturer in ºìÐÓÊÓƵ’s School of Health Sciences, has concentrated a lot of her time on conducting research and learning more about the brain disorder in order to better understand and help those who suffer with it.

As well as teaching and researching, Julie also hosts the – a podcast that includes volunteers who have Parkinson's or whose lives are affected by it. Its aim is to share research and knowledge from leading experts with the Parkinson’s community, with the hope of providing valuable and positive news and updates. The next pod episode is due out on Thursday 20 April.

Alongside this, Julie has kickstarted a weekly physiotherapy class for people with Parkinson’s on the university’s campus. The student-led course of classes provides free, moderate to high-intensity sport and exercise for those with Parkinson’s from the local area. The class is run every Thursday afternoon at ºìÐÓÊÓƵ SPORT.

Not only do they provide community based physical activity for people living with Parkinson’s, but the local community also benefit from individually tailored exercise programmes, and socialisation with others living with the condition. The classes also give physiotherapy students a valued contemporary clinical placement, an integral part of the course delivery for their degree. Moreover, the weekly management of the class is undertaken by  doctoral physiotherapy students, providing them with vital leadership and clinical development.

To find out more about the classes watch the video below and get in touch with Julie via email.

For this year’s World Parkinson’s Day, the theme is to celebrate the moments of laughter and light in the Parkinson’s community. Find out how you can get involved via .

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