Chester-le-Street therapy centre gets £25,000 hydrotherapy boost
A Chester-le-Street therapy centre has received a large donation from the Durham Freemasons to help continue their care for children with physical disabilities and complex needs.
Heel and Toe Children’s Therapy Centre, in Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, received a donation of £25,000 which was raised by the Durham Freemasons Cycling Group through their Coast and Castles Bike Ride Challenge.
Heel and Toe provides a range of therapies for children with physical disabilities and complex needs.
The charity receives no government funding and must raise around £900,000 each year to deliver its services.
Natalie Duncan, fundraising manager at Heel and Toe, said: “We are so grateful.
"We don’t often receive a substantial amount of money like this from just one event, so this is huge for us.
"It will help us continue offering hydrotherapy to children across the North East.
“It costs us roughly £5,000 each month to run the hydrotherapy centre.
"The results we see from children in the pool are amazing and it’s a facility that is very much needed in the region.
"We’re grateful not only for the money raised but also for helping more people learn about who we are and what we do.”
Organisers Gavin Rowell and Steve Piercey returned to Heel and Toe to present the donation which will help meet the running costs of its hydrotherapy pool.
Gavin said: “It was incredible to come back and see the work the charity is doing for children with complex needs.
"The support they receive here is unbelievable.
“Seeing the joy on the children’s faces as they played in the hydrotherapy pool made the three days of pain and suffering, the gusts of wind and the rain completely worthwhile.
"It was absolutely unbelievable to see.”
Steve added: “What really stood out to me was the care and attention the staff give to the children and how much they clearly enjoy their work.
"We could have done with some of that attention halfway through the bike ride.”
The 2026 ride was Durham Freemasons Cycling Group’s ninth charity challenge.
From September 4 to September 6, 30 riders, supported by five drivers, cycled nearly 200 miles from Pelton to Portobello, in Edinburgh.