The Brain Charity
Providing a free gym for those with neurological conditions in Merseyside
The Brain Charity offers essential support for people affected by brain injury and other neurological conditions, providing counselling, employment help, welfare benefits advice, social activities, and a national information service.
Its Neuro Gym in Merseyside, the only free exercise space designed for those with neurological conditions, features wheelchair-accessible equipment, group activities, and free physiotherapy. The gym was first opened in 2023 in response to the lack of accessible exercise options, with public gyms being inaccessible or unaffordable for individuals with such conditions. The gym inducted its first members in January 2024.
Neuro Gym members can conduct their own workouts with support from the manager and personal trainer, alongside group activities including Paralympic sport boccia, dance and yoga.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, physiotherapy waiting lists in Merseyside were nine to 12 months. With the average cost of a gym membership at £47.24 per month and private physiotherapy at £75.07 per session, many clients, particularly those on low incomes, cannot afford these services. The Neuro Gym offers a solution, funded by a private donor who had himself undergone brain surgery and recognised the lack of accessible rehabilitation.
The gym’s success is tracked through four metrics: physical health, mental health, confidence, and motivation to exercise. From November 2023 to October 2024, 220 clients joined.
Key successes include 78% of clients reporting improved physical health, 73% improved mental health, 68% increased confidence, and 74% higher motivation after three months.
The Neuro Gym saves its users £145,121 annually compared to private gym memberships, while its physiotherapist has delivered 156 appointments, saving the NHS approximately £15,818.40.
Awards judge Katie Ghose, chief executive of KIDS, described the Neuro Gym as “a brilliant initiative; with significant evidence of client input shaping the service, and lots of partnerships and opportunities to adopt and scale the model. It is genuinely filling a gap.”
CC Reg. no. 1114999