10 Year Anniversary Open Day 23rd September 2011
Over 60 special guests and staff came to celebrate ProActive Prothetics 10th anniversary on Friday 23rd September. The open day which included tours of their facilities, guest speakers, extreme croquet and afternoon tea in a celebration of 10 years since the foundation of ProActive Prosthetics, the first independant multi-disciplinary prosthetic rehabilitation clinic.
The open day was an opportunity for patients and families to meet each other as they enjoyed behind the scenes tours, learnt about the prosthetic process and enjoyed talks from special guests, including former paratrooper and novelist Paul Burns, ex-marine Jim Bonney from ADVENTURE REHAB, artist and silicone expert Sophie de Oliveira Barata and bronze medal Paralympian Stefanie Reid.
Stefanie’s presentation was a lesson in never giving up. The 26-year-old sprint and high jump athlete lost her right foot in a boating accident at 16 years of age. She is now hoping to compete for Great Britain at the 2012 Paralympics. Stefanie comments, “Clinics like ProActive Prosthetics allow you to pick up your life and get on with it. Richard and his team are an opportunity to grab hold of and with their support and the technology now available your dreams can come true. They may end up a little different but you can do it and I don’t let anyone tell me any different.”
Richard Nieveen, Director of ProActive Prosthetics, prosthetist, with more than 25 years experience in the profession, comments: “The open day was an opportunity for us to celebrate all that we’ve achieved and thank our patients for their support, many of whom we are now privileged enough to call friends. Our success is based on the team’s total commitment to pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in prosthetics and working closely with all of our patients in understanding their individual needs, balancing technology with lifestyle and managing the prosthetics process from start to finish. Families play a crucial role in this and the open day was also a chance to show them what we do and what they can achieve at ProActive Prosthetics.”
ProActive Prosthetics have recently completed expansion plans to increase clinic space at their Tanshire Park facilities in Elstead and appoint a new prosthetist, Kevin Shaw. The expanded facilities include consulting rooms, a casting area, a large well equipped clinical fitting room and prosthetic manufacturing workshop, which allows limb provision from initial consultation to post fitting physiotherapy support.
The team of five, which includes three prosthetists, a physiotherapist and operations director, have helped to rehabilitate over 100 patients in 10 years. Their success is based on a willingness to cater to each patient’s individual needs, aesthetically and functionally. From a high definition leg for high heels to the latest image on a custom made socket and simple support legs and cosmetic arms through to cutting edge computerised limbs.
Tania Coleman, Clinic Operations Director, of ProActive Prosthetics comments: “When Richard first established ProActive Prosthetics it was recognised as the first multidisciplinary prosthetic clinic in the independent sector and today is one of the most experienced rehabilitation clinics in the UK working with those who have suffered limb loss as a result of trauma. Our patients range from under 4 to over 80 years of age and as our reputation has grown and our referrals increased, we have expanded both our clinic space and the team. The open day was a huge success and something we hope to continue to run as an annual event.”