Keith Taylor Recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List

We are incredibly proud to announce that Keith Taylor has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to People with Multiple Sclerosis and Other Neurological Conditions.

Keith Taylor. 84, is one of the founders of The West of England MS Therapy Centre and still volunteers as a  Senior Oxygen Operator and supports Angela Palmer, our Oxygen Coordinator.

The BEM, or British Empire Medal, is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service. It recognises "hands-on" service to the local community, often through long-term charitable or voluntary work, or innovative work that has made a significant difference.

The 2025 King’s Birthday Honours list rewards the incredible accomplishments of 1,215 people from across the UK, recognising their contributions and achievements in their various fields.

Keith’s involvement with the Charity goes back over 40 years to the early 1980s. Keith’s beloved wife Pat was diagnosed with MS in 1973, and at that time, there was no provision or treatment on the NHS for MS.

When looking for treatments for Pat, Keith was investigating the benefits of Oxygen Therapy. At the time, Oxygen Therapy was the only positive response to helping with MS that they could find. Keith was introduced to a lady called Jackie Brightwell, who was looking to set up a chamber for those living with MS, including her husband. They found the venue and raised the necessary funds for the original Centre in Nailsea, near Bristol.

Over the years that followed, Keith’s passion to help those living with MS continued, and he was for a long time a member of the Charity’s Management Committee when It became apparent that the Centre had outgrown the Nailsea site.

A team of like-minded people, including Keith, Jackie Brightwell, and our Chair at that time, Peter Miller, set up The Moonstone Trust with investors to raise over £1 million to build our current facility here in Bradley Stoke, which opened in 2012.

Sadly, Pat passed away in 2010, so she was not able to see the new Centre open, but Keith continued his involvement with the Centre and the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Department.

Keith was so delighted that the Centre was renamed The Brightwell, in Jackie’s memory, in 2016.

Over the years, Keith has helped train numerous Volunteers to become Oxygen Operators, and has been Regional Training Advisor, now called Oxygen National Advisor, working with other Therapy Centres.

Recently, he has been involved with others in the setting up of the standards and training programmes for the Neuro Therapy Network.  These programmes offer standards, operational guidelines, and new training modules for about 50 Centres across the UK, Gibraltar and Jersey.

Doro Pasantes, CEO of The Brightwell, enthuses,

 “ I have known Keith for the majority of my adult life, and he has always been a tremendous support, role model and mentor to me. The timing of this award to be given to Keith is perfect as we celebrate our 40th Birthday this week. Keith has been with us throughout all four decades. His impact both here at The Brightwell and through spreading his knowledge and passion for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy across all the Centres has positively impacted the well-being of tens of thousands of people, who benefit from this Therapy every week.

I am proud to call Keith a dear friend. This honour means so much to everyone in our Brightwell Community and across the Neuro Therapy Network”

Keith lives in Yatton and is also an active member of his community and his church. Keith has two sons and is the proud Grandad to four wonderful grandchildren.

Congratulations, Keith, a well-deserved honour indeed!