ABOVE: Prince William chats to an aquajogger as he officially opens Headley Court.
The Help For Heroes campaign, that has captured the imagination of the British public, has unveiled its crowning glory with the recent opening of improved facilities for wounded servicemen and women.
The revamped rehabilitation complex for injured soldiers at Headley Court in Surrey, featuring a 25m pool and state of the art hydrotherapy facilities, was officially opened by Prince William, last month, himself a serving RAF pilot.
The newly unveiled improvements are a major boost to the site’s existing facilities and features the pool with a moving floor, an ‘Aqua Jogger’, a new and improved gym, and new medical rehabilitation facilities.
The pool built by Buckingham Pools has been designed so that two different groups of patients can exercise at the same time. At the deep end of the swimming pool, jets are installed for patients to swim against or use for resistance training. There is also a separate spa for relaxation and an existing hydrotherapy pool.
Prince William could not contain his delight when touring the facility: “Help for Heroes has galvanised the entire British people,” he said.
PROACTIVE SUPPORT
“Always supportive of its men and women in uniform, this country has been elevated by Help for Heroes to a state of realisation and proactive support for our military that has made me very, very proud to be British, and a member of our Armed Forces.”
He said he and his brother Prince Harry, 25, also in the RAF had been extremely moved by the servicemen they have met at Headley Court since the charity’s launch two-and-a-half years ago: “We were unsure about what to expect. We expected to find a place of suffering with, perhaps, a pervading atmosphere of desolation.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. Here reigns courage, humour, compassion and, above all, hope.
“Part of it is down to the extraordinary spirit and indomitable nature of the British soldier, sailor and airman.
“This great day has been brought about by this unique charity and the millions who support it.”
Headley Court provides care and rehabilitation for soldiers returning from battlefields in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq with serious injuries that often lead to amputations.
STATE OF THE ART
The state-of-the-art pool and gym complex at Headley Court, Surrey, will help troops injured in battle accelerate their recovery time. The Help For Heroes campaign, supported in particular by The Sun newspaper, has raised £54m through events ranging from sponsored runs and bike rides to cake sales and buying wristbands.
About £34 million of the fund has been earmarked for the Headley Court development. For most combat casualties, Headley Court is the final stage of the recovery process. It has 200 military and civilian staff providing care for 6,500 patients a year. The facilities, set in 85 acres of landscaped gardens, include the hydrotherapy pool, four fully equipped gyms and a state-of-theart limb-fitting and amputee centre.
The main contractors, Capita Symonds, provided a range of multidisciplinary services on the project – including architecture, civil and structural engineering, ecology, landscaping and environmental – on behalf of Interserve Building which in turn is working on behalf of PriDE – the Ministry of Defence’s Prime South East Contractor.
Buckingham Pools
ABOVE: The pool has been designed so that two different groups of patients can exercise at the same time.
Tel. +44 (0)926 852351
http://www.buckinghampools.com/
Capita Symonds
Tel. +44 (0)20 7799 1525
http://www.capitasymonds.co.uk/