Staff, patients, and supporters gathered at Stewart House in Narborough to celebrate the opening of its newly enhanced gym. The space has been transformed thanks to the generosity and commitment of those who supported the Road to Recovery fundraising appeal run by Raising Health, the registered charity of Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT).
The event marked a significant moment for LPT’s rehabilitation services. Stewart House provides specialist inpatient care for adults with severe and enduring mental illness. The gym has been enhanced with modern equipment thanks to more than £12,000 raised through community efforts, families, and dedicated LPT staff.
The Road to Recovery appeal was launched several years ago in response to the need for accessible physical exercise within mental health settings at Stewart House and The Willows, which is in Humberstone, Leicester. This project aimed to bring the benefits of physical activity directly into the heart of the service. Now, with the gym re-equipped, patients have a safe, on-site space that supports their wellbeing, fitness, and confidence.
The upgraded facilities – shaped by patient feedback – include a treadmill, multi-gym, punch bag, and a variety of smaller fitness tools. These new resources are already supporting patients to build motivation, explore new interests, and develop healthier routines during their stay, while also preparing them to access community gyms with greater confidence in the future.
Samin Gharabaghi-Marandi, matron at Stewart House, the community enhanced rehabilitation team and the individual placements team, together with Sara Le-Butt, matron at The Willows, said: “Our patients now have a dedicated space where they can build strength, confidence, and healthy routines that support their recovery journey. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who contributed to making this possible – your support has created a lasting impact for the people we care for every day at both units.”
The Raising Health team offer heartfelt thanks to all those who made this project possible. In particular, the family and friends of Greg Strachey gave meaningful support to the appeal in his memory – turning personal loss into lasting benefit for others in recovery. Greg’s sister Sarah, their parents and the family dog Teddy attended the event and shared the memories of Greg and his dedication towards this project, which they continued to support after his accident, by raising money via various challenges.
Sarah Holliehead, Greg’s sister and former head of procurement at LPT from 2010 to 2024, said: “Greg chose this charity himself in the months before his death because he was passionate about the transformative effect of exercise on mental health. Greg was due to cycle in Ride London 2022 to raise money for the gym specifically. He didn’t make it to that day due the tragic accident he suffered whilst training. But we continued to raise money in his memory. Me, my family and Greg’s friends have undertaken many challenges and activities to help bring this gym to fruition. It kept us all going during this incredibly debilitating period of grief. Thank you so much to everyone for bringing this to life and building the gym in memory of my wonderful brother. I couldn’t ask for a better legacy for Greg.”
The LPT staff also rallied behind the campaign. Dr Jon Crossley, associate director for psychological professions, was among those who took part in RideLondon 2023 to raise funds and awareness for the cause. He joined Greg’s friends who completed the challenge twice in 2022 and 2023. Their efforts exemplify the power of collective action in enhancing care environments and creating lasting change for patients.
Stewart House in Narborough provides structured, person-centred rehabilitation care. With service users typically staying between six and 15 months. The services focus on recovery, skill-building, and wellbeing. Care is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team – including nurses, doctors, occupational therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists, and more – all working collaboratively with service users and their families to plan and support recovery. It has 30 beds.
The new gym plays a significant role in this model. Staff have already observed how the re-equipped space is encouraging greater participation and fostering positive habits that patients can carry into their lives beyond the ward.
This project is a powerful reminder that community generosity and staff commitment can make a real, tangible difference. For further information please visit the Raising Health charity webpage or contact: lpt.raisinghealth@nhs.net .