A mum battling Parkinson’s wants to spread the word to other sufferers about the benefits of physical exercise.

Angela McHardy, of West Kilbride, lost her dad to Parkinson’s three years ago – in the same year she was also was diagnosed with the condition.

The mum of two had to give up her job as head of Education Services at Inverclyde Council.

Angela said: “In one year I lost my dad, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and my husband had an affair and left. It was not a good year.

“You don’t expect to have to take this journey on your own but then you find that you do have to take it alone.

“The first symptom was a shake in my left leg, like a drill. Then I had a frozen shoulder. I ended up taking a month off work which is not like me at all.”

Angela recently attended a Parkinson’s Regeneration Training workshop in London, which introduced her to Smovey. The fitness technique uses resistance rings and is thought to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s. The 55-year-old hopes to become Scotland’s first Smovey coach after undergoing training in Ireland.

The workshop has also inspired Angela to raise £7,000 to fund her own Parkinson’s Regeneration Training event in Ayrshire – Driving with the Brakes On.

She said: “What it’s done is slowed the symptoms down. You do everything you can in terms of slowing it down. It doesn’t have to be just medication.

“I went down to London to the Karl Sterling workshop. What I learned was just life changing, but really simple.

“Now, I can afford to get the train and go down to London but not everybody can do that and that’s why I want to do this – provide a platform for those living with Parkinson’s who may benefit in some way as I have from Karl’s programme.

“We called it Driving with the Brakes On because to me that’s what it feels like to have Parkinson’s, everything slows down.

“Smovey has only just came to Scotland. It’s just beginning to be recognised as beneficial to people with Parkinson’s.

“I was in Ireland and the thing that everyone kept saying was that physical exercise helps, that was what made the most difference to the symptoms. And, of course, physical exercise has the feel-good factor as well.”

Driving with the Brakes On will take place on November 17 and 18. The venue is still to be confirmed. Visit Angela’s Just Giving page at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/angela-mchardyedwards.