A Teammate for Recovery
In 2020, Dame Kelly Holmes Trust launched a pilot programme with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital funded by the Peter Sowerby Digital Breakthrough Fund, designed to support in- and outpatients in their recovery, by helping them become more physically active, increasing their wellbeing and helping them move forwards from a challenging time with confidence. Now in its second phase of delivery, over 30 young people have been connected to Trust athlete mentors for 1-2-1 sessions, referred by their clinicians as part of their recovery journey.
According to NHS Digital, there were over 1.25 million instances of young people aged 10-24 attending hospital in 2021-22.* The hospital’s own research highlights the need and potential reach for the programme: 1 in 3 young people doesn’t feel confident about exercising when in hospital and a diagnosis of any kind has a negative impact on a young person’s confidence, and physical and mental wellbeing. At Alder Hey specifically, 1,500 referrals are received each year by the clinical health psychology team and patients are 3 to 5 times more likely to experience mental health difficulties than their peers.**
Enabling young people to remain active or return to activity after hospital can play a vital role in regaining full health and fitness. The team at Alder Hey highlighted why participation with Dame Kelly Holmes Trust athletes, who, as elite sportspeople deeply understand the link between physical and mental wellbeing, has been higher than other mentoring programmes:
“We’ve really appreciated the offer the Trust has brought to our young people in overcoming barriers to activity and engaging them with role models from the sporting arena. I attribute the success to the athletes, their attitudes and their ability to extract the most from their young ‘athletes’! Also, the thought and consideration that goes into pairing them with the individual that best matches their interests and needs.
(The benefits of the programme are) improved self-confidence/esteem, feeling listened to, improved awareness of healthy living and hopefully engagement in this too.
”
The feedback from patients, their families and the clinical staff at Alder Hey has been really positive:
Henry Cookey, former Commonwealth medal winner in Taekwondo and Trust athlete mentor said:
“What I love about this programme is that although it’s short, you can have such a big impact over a short period of time. What all the young people need is someone different to talk to and being an ex-athlete makes what we have been through and done really relatable to them. When we tell our stories about what we’ve been through in the past and the things we’ve had to overcome, it makes them realise that they can overcome what they’re going through as well.”
Running alongside the mentoring is free access to a fitness app developed in partnership with Dame Kelly Holmes. This contains relevant and appropriate exercises for young people in recovery and enables them to continue developing and improving their physical health - as seen here in this workout with Yona Knight-Wisdom. Additionally, the app provides nutrition advice, mental wellbeing support and access to further information around living a healthy lifestyle - access our confidence podcast in which our athlete mentors share their thoughts and tips.
The Trust and Alder Hey clinicians have begun to share learnings and knowledge from the programme with other children’s hospitals, including Great Ormond Street Hospital, linking networks and identifying other initiatives which the programme could work in tandem with/benefit. The response has been positive and it is our ambition to expand this opportunity across multiple hospitals, allowing more young people access to our sporting champions. We would welcome interest from any funders, hospitals or delivery partners who share our vision.
Be the Champion in their Corner and help us turn lives around: contact@damekellyholmestrust.org
“You have truly been amazing, you have unlocked another part of my mind which has reignited a belief that I will recover. I couldn’t thank you enough for all the amazing support you have given me and I’m sure I won’t be the last person you will help guide on the road to recovery which leads to the path of success.
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Feedback from young person following the programme.
* taken from
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2021-22
** Alder Hey research
Thanks to funding from the Peter Sowerby Digital Breakthrough Fund and in partnership with Alder Hey Children’s Charity and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, we will be supporting 150 young people in their recovery by helping them become more physically active and increasing their wellbeing.