THE new general manager of a local charity knows better than most how important its work is for people who have had serious heart conditions.

Gordon Haigh, who has taken over the reins at the Basingstoke and Alton Rehab Centre, first became involved as a patient.

The 58-year-old had a triple heart bypass operation in 1997 and was referred to the centre in Alton as part of his recuperation.

Mr Haigh needed a life-saving operation just four months after being diagnosed with unstable angina, a condition that left him short of breath and suffering crippling chest pains.

When he first went to see his doctor he had no idea how serious his condition was, or how quickly he would deteriorate.

He said: "I started getting chest pains and breathlessness around Christmas 1996 and the doctor just thought it was a bad case of flu. Nothing he was giving me was working and I was noticeably getting worse and worse - nothing was having an effect.

"In three months I went from being perfectly normal, active and running around to having to use a stick and being constantly breathless."

Mr Haigh was eventually given a drug used to treat heart conditions and noticed an immediate improvement.

However, he was so ill that he could not walk without the aid of a stick and he was still getting worse.

The arteries around Mr Haigh's heart were dangerously blocked and he was put on the waiting list to have a by-pass operation six months later.

However, just over two weeks after discovering the blocked arteries he was under the surgeon's knife.

He recalled: "I went into the clinic at Winchester and when the doctor saw me walk in he told me there was no way I was walking out again, and sent me straight to the ward until I could be fitted in.

"It was a relief that something was happening. I knew a three to six-month wait was out of the question as I just wouldn't last that long."

Following the operation, Mr Haigh was referred to the Rehab centre in Alton and, he said, that like thousands of others, going there boosted his recovery.

Now, as the charity's general manager, he is hoping to improve the service, especially to patients from Basingstoke.

His plans include partnerships with local sports groups and using community halls to set up Rehab outreach centres. The charity is even planning a portable gym that can be packed in a van and taken to village halls in the area.

For more information about the services, or to get involved with Rehab sponsorship, call 01420 544794.