Making a difference to people’s lives has long been the motivator for care and franchise expert, Trevor Brocklebank. He has joined forces with keen sportsman, qualified teacher and fellow franchise enthusiast, Rob Oyston to launch Rise, a business specialising in mobilising people through adapted games, sports and dance.
Rise has grown out of Mobi-Game, founded by Rob. Mobi-Game offered a range of activities for the health and social care sectors, tailored to people’s physical ability or cognitive capacity to bring health and wellbeing benefits.
Rob’s vision had always been to grow the business but since its launch in 2018 he’d been busy delivering sessions and hadn’t had time to step back and scope the company’s future growth. Enter Trevor Brocklebank. The pair had known each other for some time through franchising and got talking about their shared vision to be involved in businesses that made a positive contribution to society. Rise was born out of those conversations.
Wellbeing, mobility and social interaction
The importance of overall wellbeing and social interaction has never been more in the spotlight and the Rise model is able to support people of all ages who, for whatever reason, have lost the ability to remain active and mobile. This could be through advancing years, illness or injury.
Speaking about their work, Trevor said, “We transform people’s confidence, as well as their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing – by adapting games, sports and dance to their environment.”
Rise sessions see people taking part in adapted football, rugby, tennis, hockey and even boxing. And it’s not just those taking part in the sessions who benefit, carers and family members who get involved are loving the sessions as they bring vibrancy and a real sense of fun as well as some welcome respite. The structured activities are also viewed favourably by the care regulators who appreciate the value of the enrichment that they bring.
Intergenerational fun
The Rise programme is suitable for people of all ages and abilities and allows for loved ones to come together for a positive shared experience.
Speaking about this, Rob said, “We deliver sessions in some children’s care settings such as hospices. The hospice staff are able to support the children to take part in the activity, such as hitting a balloon, but what’s even better is that siblings and parents are able to join in. At the other end of the age spectrum we also work with many older adults. One of the most memorable and rewarding examples is a dodgeball session we ran with a 109 year old lady and her great grandchildren. Another fantastic experience was seeing a paralysed former tennis player taking part in tennis for the first time in years.”
Adapted sports
Rob originally came up with the idea for adapting sports during a brief stay in hospital. A keen sportsman, he was frustrated by his short term inactivity and thought about providing for those who no longer felt they could play the games they had loved over the years.
“One of the benefits we are seeing from adapted sports and games is that it takes people back in time, evoking happy memories. There is also the team element. Some of the activities involve teams and it’s great fun to see people’s competitive edge come out!”
Activities
Rise programmes and sessions can be run at care homes as well at NHS or any health or care setting. Sessions are also available to home care providers and healthcare professionals.
The programme is available through group sessions or on a one-to-one basis, particularly where participants have restricted movement. There is the added benefit of being able to deliver sessions face to face or online. By engaging through multiple stimuli including games, music, images, video and quizzes, Rise gives everyone the best opportunity to positively engage
A franchise opportunity
The Rise model is ideal for a franchise roll-out as local owners can position themselves as the go-to expert for these enriching activities that bring benefits to both participants, their carers and families too. Commenting, Trevor said, “Rise offers individuals the opportunity to own and run a business that makes a real difference in their local community. We have a team of franchise, care and business experts who are on hand to support franchisees who manage the delivery of the programme, recruit and train a team of passionate trainers whilst building great relationships with the organisations they deliver services to.”
For more information on Rise sessions or the franchise opportunity, call 0330 912 7880 or visit https://www.rise.life/
