All New at the Samson Centre
By Gavin Crocker Chair of Trustees
Gym Refurbishment
On Wednesday 26th June, we had the honour of the Mayor of Guildford, Musak Miah, opening our newly refurbished gym. We would like to extend our gratitude to The Peter Harrison Foundation and Suez for providing funding for a significant proportion of the equipment. We would also like to thank Clive Laird for generously donating the new leg press machine. Although these benefactors were unable to attend, we were thrilled to have Natalie Roberts with us. We took the opportunity to personally thank her for raising £20,000 through the charity ball she organized at Denbies a few months ago. The funds she raised were used to purchase the chest press machine and contribute to physiotherapy sessions.
Community Engagement and the Main Hall
One of the Mayor’s themes is bringing communities together, and our gym opening was a collaborative effort with the Kayak Club and Sub-Aqua Club of Guildford, with whom we share the Waterside Centre. All boat sheds were open, allowing the divers to interact with the Mayor and showcase their boats. The kayakers put on an impressive display with several high-speed passes on the river, featuring six elite young kayakers. In the main hall, various activities took place, including three of our members using the kayak ergos. We had intended to only be in the hall for few minutes but the Mayor and I had a long conversation about the cross-over between the clubs and so James, Mike, and John just had to keep paddling as we chatted. I suddenly realised they had been working up quite a sweat and I was trying to get the Mayor out before they passed out. Sorry guys!! We also had demonstrations of the motomeds and the parallel bars, along with other activities supervised by our physios which were much more in control.
Visit to Maria’s Online Class
During the event, we joined Maria’s online class, and I apologize if we disrupted your concentration. The Mayor took centre stage, but I assure you that he won’t interrupt your class next week. John Hambly had the opportunity to showcase the Bradbury annex to the Mayor and explain the benefits of oxygen for people with MS and its wider applications, including sports injury rehabilitation, long COVID, and cancer. The Mayor’s chosen charity is the Fountain Centre at the Royal Surrey, and he expressed particular interest in our work supporting people with cancer.
Medal Winning Collaboration
The Mayor had visited the Centre before but was unaware of the extensive collaboration between the clubs and the utilization of our premises after 4:30 PM when Samson Centre members have gone home. We were lucky to have the support of Liam Heath, the gold medal-winning Olympic Kayaker, and Tim Lodge, the Paralympic kayaker, who have known the Mayor for years as they all reside in Stoughton. It made for a fun and informal morning, topped off with tea, coffee, and very posh biscuits. We extend a big thank you to everyone who contributed to the meticulous planning and to all who participated. Your assistance allowed us to showcase the incredible and vibrant environment of the Samson Centre.
Future Initiatives
As mentioned previously, the trustees have been keeping a tight rein on our finances due to concerns about rising costs and a potential revenue squeeze caused by the cost of living crisis. Instead of remaining passive, we decided to use this time to brainstorm new initiatives that the Samson Centre could offer. With plans now in place our goal is to be prepared to push ahead with these initiatives as soon as economic conditions allow. Among our considerations is the addition of an extra oxygen chamber to the Bradbury Annex. This chamber would be accessible to individuals with large wheelchairs and their caregivers. We have already received support from Sam Das and Chris Blow of the Rotary Club, who were present at the gym opening and they are keen to help finance this chamber. It’s important to note that this is still in the early stages, and we are currently in discussions with several manufacturers. Additionally, we are exploring collaboration with the Kayak Club to provide our members with opportunities to get out on the water and put their ergo training into practice. This collaboration would also enable members of the wider community with disabilities to safely enjoy the river, benefiting both clubs. If you have any other ideas or suggestions for services that we should consider offering at the Samson Centre, please feel free to reach out and let me know.