LATEST NEWS
Keep up to date with all our latest news in our fortnightly newsletters.
BLADDER AND BOWEL WELLNESS CLINIC
3rd August 2021
The Bladder and Bowel Wellness clinic is back on a monthly basis.
The first clinic is on Wednesday 18th August 2021
If you are experiencing any bladder and/or bowel issues such as increased urgency and frequency, retention, constipation or diarrhoea, or would just like some advice about anything bladder/bowel related, Carole Copestake our Continence Specialist Nurse is here to help.
To book an appointment, please call reception on 01454 201686.
TALK HEALTH - meet Doro Pasantes
26th July 2021
Our CEO Doro Pasantes took part in a webinar explaining Oxygen Therapy with Talk Health.
To watch the webinar please click this link
Talk Health also provide an online MS hub, "Talk MS" which has all the information you need, from their comprehensive support programme, to product reviews and expert clinics.
My MS can be accessed here. Registration is for this service is FREE.
POWER ACROSS THE PEAKS
25th June 2021
Over the past 9 weeks, our members, volunteers, staff and supporters were challenged to "power across peaks" of the virtual Inca Trail (32km), by any means.
Exercise to improve physical and mental wellbeing is widely promoted at the Centre and we were delighted by the number of participants taking part.
Our amazing challengers have been walking, cycling (road, hand-cycling, static cycling), wheeling, open water swimming and paddle-boarding.
Together they have covered nearly 2000km and have raised an incredible £5,182.
Thank you to everyone for taking part, to your friends/family for their generous support
and making this such a fantastic event.
Where shall we go next year?
VOLUNTEER WEEK 2021
Volunteer week is a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution our volunteers make to The Brightwell and say thank you.
It goes without saying that our volunteers have played a key role in the pandemic response. During an exceptionally difficult year, our volunteers have made it possible to keep providing support and therapies to people living with neurological conditions.
We very much look forward to welcoming back our volunteers who help make teas and coffees when our social space reopens. We have missed you all so much.
To all our volunteers, thank you for everything that you so. We very much appreciate all the time that you give to our Centre.
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If you would like to find out more about volunteering, please visit
OPERATION VOID - PART 1
The void has almost been cleared!
The container has arrived!
Next step: to lay a new floor
Clearing the has been a mammoth task
which has been brilliantly led and managed by Ruth
with just a few sleepless nights!
We have also had some
fabulous volunteers helping us.
We would not have achieved this clear-out
without your support.
Thank you all for giving up your time.
We still have some items that need re-homing,
including a hoist, a reclining chair, red high-backed chairs
If you are interested in any items, please email or have
a chat with our reception team (01454 201686).
RETURN OF EXERCISE CLASSES
Behind the scenes, we are working hard on a plan to
restart our exercise classes
and re-open our social space.
As soon as we have finalised the details
we will let you know.
EASTER EGG HUNT RAISES £1,240 FOR THE BRIGHTWELL
Read our article in the April edition of the Bradley Stoke Journal
MS AWARENESS WEEK 2021
This week marks MS AWARENESS WEEK 2021 (19th - 25th April 2021) and we will be focussing on how the pandemic has effected the lives of our members living with Multiple Sclerosis through their personal stories,
"𝑅𝑒-𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐, 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑥𝑦𝑔𝑒𝑛. 𝐼𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐼 𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑠𝑜 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑥𝑦𝑔𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑓𝑒𝑤 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑙𝑒".
Ali, Centre member at The Brightwell
Local oxygen therapy may be successful for long-covid.
Oxygen therapy at pressure (utilising barometric chambers) for people living with the effects of long-covid, like other post-viral syndromes, is being seen to be beneficial in easing many of the symptoms.
The Brightwell Centre in Bradley Stoke, a charity, has been providing oxygen therapy in its barochamber over the past 35 years for those with Multiple Sclerosis, neurological and many other conditions that have been shown to benefit from high dose oxygen.
Following on from the improvements reported after oxygen treatment of a number of people living with long-covid in many countries, The Brightwell is now providing this service, together with other MS Therapy Centres across the UK.
Those with long-covid undergoing oxygen therapy at The Brightwell report that they are already feeling the benefits. One such person who has been living with the symptoms of long-covid for the last eleven months, has only had 20 sessions of oxygen therapy over the last 5 weeks and has reported a considerable improvement in their general condition with the resolution of aggressive shooting pain, clearing of brain fog, permanent headaches and word blindness. In addition, they have reported that they are no longer fatigued and for the first time in many months are returning to their old self.
Concerns have been expressed recently by Kamlesh Khunti, a professor from the University of Leicester who sits on SAGE, that the likely numbers of those who may suffer from long-covid could exceed those who have been hospitalized or have died from the virus.
Research is ongoing worldwide to find an answer to this serious complication to the virus but whilst the world waits for trials to be completed high dose oxygen may have a major part to play.
Doro Pasantes, Centre Manager for The Brightwell says “we are offering oxygen therapy, which may be an aid to simple recovery”.
For further information, please email doro.pasantes@thebrightwell.org.uk