Steve Payne, a Retired Officer from the Nottinghamshire Police Force, recently spent a week with us at our facility in Harrogate. Read his experience of the Centres, not only then but as a serving Officer as well.
“I joined Nottinghamshire Police in 1982 and signed up for the Police Treatment Centre during my initial Force training.
At that time the troubles in Northern Ireland were still at a peak and it was my way of contributing something to Irish Police Officers who needed treatment and a bit of rest and recovery. I suppose this was helped by the fact that we had had a couple of Irish Police Officers’ children stay with us when I was a teenager as my father had been a Police Officer meaning I witnessed, first-hand the benefit of a break for them.
It was not until a couple of years before retirement that I first used the Centre for myself having been diagnosed with a degenerative knee condition. My doctor informed me that it would only get worse until it got so painful that I would need a knee replacement.
The Physio and Fitness instructors at the centre gave me a programme to follow and 12 years later I am still on the same knee, I can only thank them for the effort and advice they gave me.
Five years ago (now retired) whilst out cycling I was knocked over by an overtaking car and ended up in hospital. Once up and about again I booked in for a week and again, they worked wonders.
I contributed all through my service and have continued to do so in retirement. Recently the centre has expanded the Well Being programme to retired officers, I have spoken to other officers who have attended and not heard one detrimental comment, all having said they benefited from attending.
If these are not reasons enough to become a donor then just think for a minute, my current annual contribution is about £54 a year. This will not even buy me a single consultation with a physiotherapist but it will get a week of one-to-one at Harrogate, a weeks accommodation and access to a first class gym, hydro therapy and swimming pool.”
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