Six months can change everything. For Shirley Armitt, it meant a huge step forward in strength, mobility and confidence – and the beginning of friendships she never expected.
Shirley is married to a Staffordshire firefighter and was among the first to join the pilot of our Falls Management Exercise Programme (FaME) at Jubilee House.
Designed for people living with long‑term conditions or injuries, the programme combines strength‑building techniques and physical exercises with practical coping strategies and regular group support. Group members meet online regularly and together in person every few months.
By the time we caught up with Shirley’s group six months in, they told us the transformation in each of them was incredible. Everyone said they’d seen physical improvements, as well as forming lifelong friendships.
Shirley was diagnosed with MS in 2019, although she was told at the time that she could have been living with it since 2004.
“I’d had trouble with my eye then, but hadn’t realised what it was,” she says. “It impacted us a lot. My husband’s mother actually died when he was six, related to MS, so it was particularly hard for me to tell him.
“In the eight months leading up to my diagnosis, I didn’t actually tell him. I was having various tests and didn’t want to worry him unnecessarily if it turned out to be something else. It was when I needed a lumbar puncture to get a definitive diagnosis that I needed to.”
MS affects Shirley’s walking and balance, and she experiences pain in her joints and legs. After an initial rehabilitation stay at Jubilee House, she was invited to join the FaME pilot.
“The first time I visited, the exercise made such a difference. So when they asked me to join this programme, I jumped at it,” she says. “We gelled on day one. They’re such a lovely bunch. Having that camaraderie is really good for us mentally too.”
Meeting another member of the group with MS was especially meaningful, she says: “Being able to talk to someone who really gets it – that’s helped so much.”
The mix of face‑to‑face sessions and digital check‑ins proved ideal too, as Shirley adds: “I was actually on holiday for the first few Zooms, but I still dialled in!”
“I used to pay for a chiropractor, and I haven’t needed to go back since starting the programme,” Shirley explains. “The more I’ve exercised, the better my joints feel. It’s not just exercising – it’s doing the right exercise in the right way. That’s what I’ve learned. It’s built my confidence and pushed me. It’s been marvellous.”
About the programme
The Falls Management Exercise (FaME) Programme is designed to improve strength, stability, and balance confidence. Specifically tailored for those who have experienced falls or live with multiple co-existing health conditions and are at risk of falling, the programme is clinically proven to reduce the frequency and impact of falls while improving bone density. Delivered over a six-month period, the programme uses a blended model consisting of three residential stays complemented by weekly online sessions, providing a comprehensive support structure that bridges physical exercise with long-term habit formation.
Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for future availability on the programme.