Podcast Episode 23: Leg Club Members

Hello, my name is Carol Brook and I'm the Chair of Nails East District Lead Club, just outside Bristol. My background is in GP practice management, which is how I first discovered lead clubs and have been a supporter of this brilliant model of care ever since. There are many academic papers and evidence-based studies on the effects of social interaction on health and wellbeing. This is not one of them. This short podcast is based on my experiences of its importance seen during lead club meetings at Nailsie. Nailsie Lead Club has been running for six years now although of course like everyone else had to close during the Covid pandemic. Closing our doors meant that many of our members were totally isolated from their community and other people for months on end. There were times when even with a husband to keep me entertained, I so missed the company and a touch of friends and family. So I can't imagine what it felt like to spend day after day on your own, especially with the added concern of a leg ulcer. There is no doubt in my mind that health and well-being is improved by social interaction and that's why the Leg Club model of care is so very important. With the easing of Covid restrictions during the summer of 2021, the Lead Club committee was keen to reopen and get everyone together again. But unfortunately the nurses are under such pressure for the vaccination programmes they simply couldn't be released, no matter how much they wanted to support us. So the Lead Club Cafe was born. So important is the opportunity to get together in an informal setting, have a chat over a cup of tea and something a bit naughty like a piece of cake, we were all completely committed to getting the cafe up and running. Our volunteer teams couldn't wait to see all the lead club members again and our volunteer drivers were queuing up to get their names on the rotor. And what a lovely buzz there has been on each of the Wednesday mornings we have met. Happy cries of how lovely to see you again with smiles all round. It was interesting and rather sad to see how some of our members had physically deteriorated over the previous 18 months of isolation. Of course they tend to be the more elderly age range but it is clear that the health and well-being of some of them had been badly affected. This confirmed to me the importance of social interaction provided by such community groups as the Leg Club. Even before Covid our busy Leg Club had a reputation for being welcoming and good fun. We don't need to provide games or entertainment. The members were just happy to chat to the other members and of course our lovely volunteers. They'd occasionally move tables so they could talk to everyone attending that day and although they clearly compared notes on the progress of their leg problems and encouraged each other, it was the friendly familiarity of seeing each other week after week that they enjoyed so much. New attendees were greeted warmly by members and volunteers alike, and soon found themselves part of the group. When delivering a presentation to other groups about the work of the Lead Club, we often tell the story of three of our gentlemen members, who came and all sat at different tables, hiding behind their newspapers. Over the next two or three weeks they started nodding to each other, saying hello, and then eventually sitting together and chatting. It was wonderful to see the progression and now they greet each other like old pals when they turn up to Leg Club and even better they sometimes meet up outside of Leg Club which shows they have also integrated into the community. Occasionally when people come to the Leg Club for the first time, very reluctantly and determined not to like it, mainly men for some reason, they would often say my wife has made me come or the nurse said they could only see me here. Initially they are grumpy and rather off-hand with everyone, but by the end of the morning they've been integrated into the group and are chatting away like everyone else. We are very happy to see them return every Wednesday and say how much they enjoy their weekly outing. On a practical level, the Lead Club also gives the opportunity to invite guests to come along and talk to our members about other services which can benefit them. This includes such organisations as Curo, who support people in managing their homes better, WAM, standing for Warmer Homes Advice and Money, who help to reduce fuel poverty, and an exercise and health specialist who encourages movement and activity at whatever level the individuals can manage. We have great fun using our tension bands with that one. As an example of how much external organisations can help, we also had a member who was very socially withdrawn, living in an isolated home and with very few opportunities to socialise. Our volunteer drivers who brought her to the leg club made great inroads with encouraging conversation during the 15-minute journey and once at the club other members' chatter slowly brought her out of herself. This member now attends other community events such as the weekly luncheon club entirely due to our members drawing her into the community and her life is richer for it and her mental and physical health has improved too. So you can see that although the clinical service of lower limb care is central to what the leg club provides, the social side is equally important to the improved health and well-being of our lovely members. Social interaction leads to more happiness and positivity which in turn improves mental and physical health. In my view, we need a leg club in every town and village. Thank you for listening.