The team, which is based at Walkergate Park in Newcastle, works to promote independence and increase quality of life for patients at the hospital through taking part in social and leisure activities.
The money will fund taxis to take patients on outings and activity equipment including TV and entertainment packages for the ward common rooms. Outings include going for fish and chips and walking football, giving patients a sense of normality and something to look forward to.
Jack Warren works as a paralegal at law firm Clifford Chance. Each year, the company gives employees the opportunity to put forward a charity to receive funds from The Clifford Chance Foundation.
Jack, 28, nominated STARRT after he was a patient at Walkergate Park. Part of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), Walkergate Park provides services for people with a disability caused by injury or disease affecting the brain, spinal cord or muscles.
“I didn’t know Walkergate Park existed,” he said. “I suppose you don’t know about it until you need it and then it becomes your whole world. I had such a positive experience there that has stayed with me ever since.”
In February 2024, Jack started to notice strange symptoms.
“It’s hard to describe but I felt like my legs had turned to wood. I didn’t know what was happening. I fell over and couldn’t get back up. I had a few seizures and couldn’t walk or use my hands after that. It’s so strange to be walking fine one day and then be completely immobile a few weeks later.”
Jack spent a month on an acute hospital ward and a month in a community hospital before being transferred to Walkergate Park in April 2024, where he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. After a range of therapies, Jack was discharged in July 2024. Life is looking up; he returned to work full time in February 2025 and is saving for a house with his partner.
Apart from occasional nerve pain and stiffness, he can do everything he did before. Jack says STARRT have had a lasting impact on him, long after his discharge from hospital.
“I was sceptical of STARRT to begin with,” he admits. “I thought it would be too much like forced fun. I wasn’t the most receptive at first but it changed me.
“I see the world differently since my time at Walkergate Park. It sounds cliché but STARRT brought me out of my shell. Engaging with different patients has made me more understanding and empathetic.
“Not only did I leave Walkergate Park physically better, but I was also in a much better place mentally.”
Jack hopes the funding from The Clifford Chance Foundation means that other patients can access the activities he did through STARRT.
“I know how impactful those “small” things can be when you’re a patient,” he said.
“The dedication of everyone at STARRT is amazing. Helping people with bad mobility can be exhausting but everyone did it with a smile on their face and never made me feel like a burden.
“One of my biggest fears when I went into Walkergate Park was feeling like I was trapped there but STARRT made me feel like I was part of a community rather than in hospital.”
On being able to give back, Jack said: “Last Christmas I went to the ward to give everyone chocolates but this money will be way more impactful.
“It feels like restoring karma. They did good by me, so I’ll do good by them. It’s great that The Clifford Chance Foundation has given me the opportunity to help.”
Daria Ansari-Saeid, Marketing Officer for CNTW Charity, said: “We were delighted to hear from Jack about his experience at Walkergate Park and the impact STARRT made on his wellbeing and recovery. We are so grateful for the generous donation from Clifford Chance that will enhance the experience of patients receiving care at Walkergate Park.”
Advanced Occupational Therapist Amelia Carter said: “The whole team are honoured to be remembered so fondly by Jack and to hear STARRT made such a difference to him. This donation will go such a long way in helping countless patients at Walkergate Park access meaningful leisure and social activities, supporting their overall recovery and wellbeing.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to Jack and his employer for this incredibly generous donation.”
In addition to the SHINE fund, CNTW charity also has over 40 individual funds for specific wards and services.
