In the swim

Disabled adults in North Edinburgh are building strength, improving movement and having fun using local leisure facilities.

Craighall service users Charlotte Allan, Rudy Bleau and Rachel Wilson have all been taking the plunge with regular visits to the Pulse Centre in Leith.

The weekly sessions offer the group – two of whom are wheelchair users – lots of health and social benefits. After a workout in the gym and a dip in the pool, they enjoy lunch round the corner at Doctor Bell’s café.

Rudy said: “As someone with MS, it’s important for me to build up strength between relapses. Gym exercise helps me to do that – it helps to build up parts of your body you don’t use for the rest of the week.”

Charlotte likes the informality of the sessions and regularly visits the centre outside of day-centre hours, taking advantage of the £15 per week concession for people on Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

Over lunch, the group discuss other options for broadening their horizons at Craighall. Rachel enjoys the karaoke nights, while Charlotte and Rudy regularly take part in the ‘chats and choices’ group at the centre.

This session offers a varied programme of relaxation, discussion, speakers and visits to other places, such as the MS therapy centre at Swanfield in Leith.