A £25,000 donation from Durham Freemasons will help Heel and Toe Children’s Therapy Centre continue providing specialist hydrotherapy for children with physical disabilities and complex needs.
The money was raised by Durham Freemasons Cycling Group through the Coast and Castles Bike Ride Challenge, organised in support of the Durham Freemasons’ 2032 Festival. Organisers Gavin Rowell and Steve Piercey returned to Heel and Toe’s centre near Chester-le-Street to present the donation, which will help meet the running costs of its hydrotherapy pool.
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.”
Gavin Rowell 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 Piercy 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 4 to 6 September, 30 riders, supported by five drivers, cycled nearly 200 miles from Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, to Portobello, Edinburgh.
The Durham Freemasons 2032 Festival will officially launch in January 2027 and aims to raise more than £3 million over five years to support charities and good causes.
Steve & Gavin get to see the work being done by the staff of Heel & Toe in the Hydrotherapy pool
