Community
19 March, 2021
New Therapeutic Gym for Couch
A brand new, purpose-built Therapeutic Gym has opened at the COUCH Wellness Centre in Manoora thanks to the support and generosity of the Cairns and Far North Queensland (FNQ) community.
The gym, costing $250,000 is the latest addition to the growing complex that offers clients a nurse-led model of care to support the needs of FNQ residents and their experience with cancer.
Funding for the project has come from substantial contributions from a variety of local donors and from dedicated fundraising events. In paying tribute to this generosity, COUCH Chair Ron Holden commented that this was so typical of the community support that has sustained the cancer care charity since its inception in 2006 and which has been fundamental to the establishment of the Wellness Centre itself.
Since opening the COUCH Wellness Centre in May of 2019, the organisation has seen a sustained demand for its services particularly through COVID where the centre continued to offer its services to clients.
COUCH Deputy Chair, Michael Nelson said “This latest addition to the centre has been a $250,000 injection into providing better cancer care services for our community which is at the very heart of what COUCH stands for”.
“But we are still not done. Since opening we have uncovered a need for escalated allied health services and we want to service that need through the Wellness Centre. To do this we need to complete our final phase of construction where will need to raise $700,000 to achieve this milestone for the people of Far North Queensland” said Mr Nelson.
The new gym is a welcome addition to the busy cancer Wellness Centre which already provides nursing support, allied health services and complementary therapies and activities including pilates, yoga, tai chi and meditation.
“Exercise is so important for people at every stage of the journey through cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Keeping active can help relieve the effects of clinical cancer treatment and related fatigue, as well as improve strength and mobility and improve general wellbeing” said Erin Robinson, Health Promotion Officer.
The COUCH Wellness Centre in addition to its it nursing team and allied health practitioners, also has an accredited exercise physiologist on staff who has completed specialised oncology training to provide high level support for people with a cancer diagnosis. Individual consultations are available as well as small group circuit training in the new gym. COUCH Wellness Centre Cancer Care Services Coordinator, Kath Turner says “Therapeutic exercise as prescribed by our Exercise Physiologist aims to prevent disability and provide rehabilitation from pathological processes which can result in loss of function and participation in the community.”
If you are living with cancer and require support with your health and wellbeing, contact the COUCH Wellness Centre to find out more about our services by visiting www.couch.org.au
