A CHARITY dedicated to the welfare of service veterans that was launched in Butterknowle is marking its tenth anniversary with new premises and a nomination for a top national award.
Sporting Force was started by former soldier and police officer Tommy Lowther as a way of helping veterans into sport-related jobs, working particularly with Premier League football clubs.
However, the charity has grown to the point where it now employs eight full time staff and is developing its own recovery centre.
Last month it began moving from a Newton Aycliffe industrial estate to a more central location in Darlington.
Mr Lowther said: “It [Newton Aycliffe] was a good space but it wasn’t our own and that is something that was holding us back a bit. We needed our own front door.
“Even though we had a lot of space, it was difficult to get to, whereas we have come to the town now and it is very easy to get to because we are within walking distance of the train station and major bus routes.”
The new space was also an opportunity to realise a dream of developing a complete recovery centre, featuring a large resistance pool, a spa and a sauna for heat therapy.
The resistance pool can be used with submersible treadmills and bicycles.
Mr Lowther said: “We get a lot of guys come to us who have lower limb problems – hips, knees and back. There are a lot of guys with arthritis because of the amount of weight they carried around and marches that they went on. The reason for the pool is to offer those guys some therapy exercise.
“People look at the [spa bath] and say it is a luxury item – it is if you have got it in your garden, but here we have got the jets set up so you can give deep tissue massages.”
All the new equipment cost about £50,000.
Mr Lowther added: “It is worth it though because we can now help so many more people. We can take referrals from the NHS, we can take referrals from doctors and CCGs around the area. We are the only organisations around the country that is offering this support.”
The facility also has an extensive gym, with all of the equipment accessible to wheelchair users.
The only item still required is a hoist, to help those who are paralysed use the equipment and Mr Lowther is open to offers of donations to help get one.
Work is still being done to complete the new centre and veteran and qualified joiner Mick Hugill, who started the Live Edge Woodwork community interest company, has been roped in to do some of the finishing touches.
He said: “I think it is absolutely brilliant, especially for people who aren’t as able – you’ve got the resistance pool, even if it is for people who have got a bit of muscle ache. And, of course, there are the other things they do as well, the camping events for families and stuff.”
Mr Lowther hopes to have the recovery centre up and running before an open day which is planned for November 18, at 6pm.
Mr Lowther said: “Once that starts that will be full every day, we will have 40 to 50 people every day using it.”
Also in November the charity has been invited to the Soldiering On Awards where it has been nominated in the Working Together category. In 2018 the charity won the best business category of the same awards.
Mr Lowther said: “This one means so much to us because we have been nominated by one of our beneficiaries – that to me speaks a thousand words because it says that what we are doing is making a difference. It is touching people’s lives. It is just unbelievable.
“It just makes me proud to know the staff are doing an unbelievable job. I often get quite a lot of the praise as the founder and CEO, but in actual fact most of the hard work gets done by these guys behind me.”
The charity has also nominated two veterans close to it for awards.
Mr Lowther said: “Mark Toner was injured in Afghanistan and lost the use of his right arm – he has no feeling in it at all. He’s just retained his world strongest disabled man title for deadlift. He is a phenomenal guy.
“Then we’ve got Gina Allsop and we have nominated her for an inspiration award.
“She has raised thousands of pounds for us and what she has gone through and how she has come through out of the end of it is phenomenal. She is an absolutely amazing lass.”
For more information or to help get a hoist for the recovery centre visit sporting force.org or ring 08000 509502.
