'Sport stopped me disappearing with Parkinson's'

A former police dog handler says he wants to challenge feelings of isolation and loneliness in older men after a diagnosis of Parkinson's made him feel like he was "disappearing".

Paul Nicholls, 58, from Colchester, left his dream job with Essex Police after learning he had the condition 11 years ago.

Initially, he said he was "too embarrassed" to tell anyone about it - but now he is the joint manager of the England Parkinson's Walking Football team.

He said walking football "changed my life and it brought me out of my shell again," adding: "When I was playing for that hour - it was liberating and like I was free from the condition."

Research from Age UK in 2024 revealed that 940,000 people over the age of 65 often felt lonely.

Nicholls made an appointment to see a neurologist when he was 47 after noticing his particular symptoms were not improving.

"I was shuffling," he said, "my handwriting was getting worse, my speech was getting worse.

"The neurologist said 'you've got Parkinson's' and I couldn't believe it, I'm too young to have Parkinson's."

Determined to keep active, he joined a walking football team three years ago.

Nicholls said: "We're all the same age, we're all experiencing the same thing, we're all a band of brothers.

"We had one guy who hadn't left the house in three years and he started playing walking football and hasn't looked back since."

He said it was a relief that his teammates understood what it was like living with Parkinson's.

"It's like a men's shed and it's just a safe space where they guys can come together and talk to each other," he added.

"When I was younger, [mental health] was sort of frowned upon, particularly around men."

The men who came to the groups "have changed for the better and they're more open", he said.

Spencer Pratten, 71, from Great Waltham near Chelmsford, started playing football at the age of 10.

He is now captain of the Chelmsford City walking football team and has recently been crowned the sport's world player of the year.

The 71-year-old said it was a great way for older men to stay fit and socialise with people going through similar life changes.

He said sometimes men needed to talk about their emotions the same way women did.

"We won't come out with stuff that will make us look weak or like we're not coping or inadequate.

"In reality, we are no different to women, if you have a problem then get it out there and let people help you."

John Poysden, 71, from Leigh-on-Sea, broke into England's top 10 of over-70s table tennis players.

He said: "Sport is great for mental health.

"There used to be a stigma around mental health but now it is often treated the same as a physical injury."

Poysden started playing table tennis in his late teens and early 20s, but picked up the bat again at 51 and is now England Veterans Table Tennis captain.

He said playing a sport as he got older was a great way to make new friends.

"I also find that because you have a joint interest in a social environment you get to know people better, they are more open and some freely discuss their mental health issues," he said.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.