After months of exceptional hard work, gardening duo Michael Leech and Gavin Moth opened the Woodstock Homes Multiple Sclerosis Garden in the Pocket Planting section yesterday, and what an opening it was.

We are delighted that, after months of restricted access, our Therapy Garden is now fully open! It all started as a simple project back in March 2025: laying and extending the path, which wheelchair users were finding difficult to use. To cut a very long story short, despite numerous attempts and a lot of different tips and options, a “hoggin” surface simply could not be made to suit our needs.

Check out our June newsletter! This edition is jam-packed full of news, updates, stories and events. We hope you enjoy the read!

We have some wonderful news to share, The Brightwell has been named as a finalist in the BBC Radio Bristol Make a Difference Awards, in the Community Group Award category. We are one of just four finalists, and we are absolutely thrilled.

We were delighted to welcome a new group of Corporate Volunteers on 17 June from AVIVA, based in Stoke Gifford. This was the first time the team of volunteers had come to help at The Brightwell, and we were very impressed with everything they achieved! They were also assisted on the day by our own brilliant Brightwell Garden volunteers, Jen and Dave, who also did a tremendous job.

Many of us will be familiar with the spectacular displays at RHS Chelsea, but from July 2026 there is a wonderful new venue to add to the diary. The RHS Badminton Flower Show, set within the magnificent Badminton Estate in South Gloucestershire, is one of the most exciting developments in the horticultural calendar for years, and, as it turns out, one with a very personal connection to the MS community

Not content with running one marathon in honour of his late Uncle Nick, Ciaran Hemming returned for a second! This time swapping the stunning scenery of Loch Ness for the city streets of Edinburgh.

Last week, we gathered together as a Brightwell family to celebrate the life of our wonderful Keith Gilbey, and what a celebration it was.

The Maytree Pub in Bristol turned the Spring Bank Holiday into a brilliant community fundraiser on 25th May, hosting a Family Fun Day in support of The Brightwell.

We thought that it might be useful to share some of the key slides and notes from the presentation at our AGM, held at the Centre on 28 May 2026