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Bingo Night - September 2023 6 Prize Bingo Games, 2 Cash Bingo Games plus 'Silly Bingo' BYO drinks and nibbles and enjoy a great night out with friends and family! When and where 20 Sept, 19:00 – 21:30 Bradley Stoke, The West of England MS Therapy Centre Bradbury House, Wheatfield Dr, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 9DB, UK About Join our regular fun-tastic bingo night! Join friends, family and make new friends on the night. Everyone welcome! For more detail please visit www.thebrightwell.org.uk/events/bingo-night-september-2023

Enjoy a fantastic evening of music from the Apollo Wind Band this September, all in support of The Brightwell, a local charity supporting people affected by neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis. When 30 Sept, 19:00 – 21:30 Where Winterbourne Community Centre , Watleys End Rd, Winterbourne, Bristol BS36 1QG, UK A night you won't want to miss! Enjoy a fantastic evening of music from the Apollo Wind Band this September, all in support of The Brightwell, a local charity supporting people affected by neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis. Tickets £10pp Concert begins at 8 pm, pre-bar from 7 pm Raffle on the night with lots of prizes up for grabs! We can't wait to see you there! For further information please visit: www.thebrightwell.org.uk/events/apollo-wind-band-concert

We gladly welcomed back Rolls Royce on the 20 July, for some help with the garden, which turned out to be far more than that. We welcomed 23 volunteers on the day organised by Mark Savage. Each and every one of the team were brilliant, aided by beautiful sunshine. The usual weeding tasks were carried out, along with the willow weaving of our screened seating area and the mowing of our lawn. Lots of garden waste was bagged, and a team helped us lower some of our parking curb stones for a future project. A major transformation took place with 3 of our patio chairs being sanded and oiled bringing them back to their former glory, not to mention the 2 benches within the willow seating area. Take a look at the photos to see the results of all the team’s efforts and enthusiasm. Thank you Mark and the Rolls Royce Team for all your hard work!

We are delighted to welcome Therese Staniland to the Brightwell from Wednesday 2 August 2023. Therese Staniland, originally from South Africa and has been in the beauty and nail industry since 2002, she was a trainer for Star Nails and owned her own training school in South Africa. She will be offering specialist foot care treatments and procedures. She is qualified as a Level 4 foot health practitioner and is passionate about the therapies she offers. Services Include: ·Cut and file nails ·Nail reconstruction ·Care in diabetic Feet ·Corns ·Hard skin removal (Callus) ·Veruca Treatment (Verrutop) ·Ingrowing toenails ·Nail fungus treatment ·Foot or Lower Leg Massage ·Manicures with gel polish. 2 sessions per month from Wednesday 2nd August. 30 minutes or 1hr appointments available. Follow up sessions 6/8 weeks. Cost: 30 mins £25 60 mins £40 Please call reception to make an appointment – Don’t miss out! Call us on 01454 201686 or email hello@thebrightwell.org.uk

The Brightwell 100 initiative was launched in February 2022 and thanks to the generosity of supporters, we have already been able to put funds towards the new oxygen generation project, the new terrace & garden area, physio team uniforms and equipment, plus new IT equipment for staff and volunteers. Our most recently funded projects are training and start-up equipment for the new FES Clinic and a donated commercial dishwasher, for the café. Brightwell 100 members have also donated labour and discounted goods to help with emergency boiler replacement and donated equipment for the new café. We also have ongoing financial support with sponsored merchandising. Other money raised from all the numerous fundraising activities, funding from grants and donations from trusts planned and sourced by the Fundraising Team at The Brightwell, will be used to focus on ensuring that The Brightwell’s overheads and running costs are covered. The overall fundraising ensures that therapies are affordable and no one living with a neurological condition is ever turned away, which in most cases means individuals’ physio and oxygen sessions are subsidised by the charity. Therefore, every pound raised through the Brightwell 100’s corporate fundraising is allocated to specific projects and enhancements from the Wishlist, adding real and immediate value. The Brightwell 100 is looking to support the charity’s “Project Green” fundraising. We have already received £5,000 from a Brightwell 100 supporter, which was used to change all the outdoor lighting to LED. The next step is to replace all the lighting in the physiotherapy department. Due to limited natural light and constant use, the conversion to LED will give immediate energy cost savings. The other items on the list are items to enhance our service users’ experiences We are now looking for businesses to support us with this fundraising for the items on the list below. We want to introduce talking therapies for members and their carers. There is very little, if any, support through the NHS, or other routes, for those living with neurological conditions, in particular MS. We are looking to offer counselling and peer-to-peer sessions, including art and music therapy, for our service users. We would also like to offer support to those who are carers too. Most carers, looking after our members are partners or relatives and this can put a great strain on families. It is important to note that this is not a one-way relationship, and we are keen for all Brightwell 100 members to be involved as much as they would like to be. Full benefits of joining this network of supporters and details of existing members can be found at www.thebrightwell.org.uk/brightwell-100 Please follow us on LinkedIn and sign up to our blog to keep up to date with all our news and events, the links are below. If you would like to discuss any of these items in more detail or to discuss any other queries regarding becoming a Brightwell 100 member, please contact me. Thanking you in anticipation. Caroline Blake-Symes |Trustee & Brightwell 100 Coordinator Mobile:07970 038135 Email: caroline.blake-symes@thebrightwell.org.uk Web: www.thebrightwell.org.uk/brightwell-100 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-brightwell Blog: www.thebrightwell.org.uk/blog

The Brightwell Fete kicks off on Saturday 29th July and is the perfect fun filled day for the Bradley Stoke community. Join us from 11am to 2pm at The Brightwell, Bradbury House, Wheatfield Drive, Bradley Stoke. Bristol, BS32 9DB The fete is raising vital funds to ensure we can continuously offer life-long therapy to those affected by neurological conditions, such as MS. Therapy enables members to live a fulfilling & independent life for as long as possible alongside in-person support from staff, colleagues and other members facing similar circumstances. So, come along and get competitive on our carnival games, browse an array of handmade lovelies, indulge in scrumptious refreshments & soak up the wonderful atmosphere whilst being serenaded by the talented Rose Bruford. We shall be joined by our amazing volunteers who’ll be serving cream teas & hot drinks a plenty, Gio’s Gelato for the tastiest ice cream in town or you can even pop over to The Booze Box for your favorite tipple!

For many years The Brightwell has been part of the Multiple Sclerosis National Therapy Centres (MSNTC). In recent months the MSNTC has had a complete rebrand and refocused on its aims and purpose. The network is now called the Neuro Therapy Network will a clear message of being “A UK-wide network delivering life-enhancing therapies for people living with neurological and other long-term health conditions.” What do they do? Neuro Therapy Network is a registered charity and membership organisation that represents a thriving group of 50 independent therapy centres throughout Great Britain, and in Gibraltar and Jersey. ​They provide support, training, and operational guidance to centres, as well as promoting their work nationally so that more people living with neurological and other life-limiting conditions can access their services. As we do at The Brightwell, many centres, offer Oxygen Therapy, Neuro-Physiotherapy and complementary therapies, but a few also offer therapies such as Hydrotherapy. ​Their Vision ​“We will be the strong national voice of a thriving network of therapy centres supporting people living with neurological and other long-term medical conditions.” ​​Their Mission “Supporting our member centres to deliver life enhancing therapies. Providing a national voice promoting and signposting the work of our member centres” The Neuro Therapy Network is important as it enables the individual centres to have the benefit of working as a collective in terms of best-practice, research opportunities and furthering knowledge. We are particularly proud that Paul Spaven our ex-Chair of Trustees, is now Chair of Neuro Therapy Centres. Paul is still very much involved with us all here at The Brightwell. For further details please visit www.neurotherapynetwork.org.uk/

We very much focus on you as an individual with your own personal needs being met. These requirements might include maintaining mobility, it is crucial that you remain as active as possible, we understand that this can be a challenge for people with neurological problems, especially when their muscle strength and movement is affected. Through regular physiotherapy, muscles can be exercised in the correct way and so, where possible, mobility is maintained, and the issues associated with a lack of movement can be prevented or addressed. Many of our members have some or all of the following aims: Receiving general advice to them and their support network Maintaining/improving joint mobility Preventing/reducing muscle spasms Maintaining/improving muscle power Maintaining/improving normal patterns of movement mproving/maintaining balance and coordination ·Reducing/preventing ataxia Maintaining/improving general fitness In addition, physiotherapy can be combined with the other therapies on offer to help ease pain, which can be one of the most difficult symptoms to treat effectively. Our therapists and Centre staff can speak to you about whether a combination of therapies might be right for you. The physiotherapy offered to you will be based on your specific ability. Activities vary from one-to-one or group sessions to exercise classes, gym equipment can also be used, under a therapist’s supervision. All new members to the Centre have a general assessment with a physiotherapist and, if physiotherapy is requested, a discussion will take place between the individual and the therapist as to the most suitable format. How can I get physiotherapy at The Brightwell? For further information please visit www.thebrightwell.org.uk/physio Or call us today on 01454 201686 to book in your General Assessment with a physio specialist.

A number of items of equipment have been donated to the Centre recently and we would like to find a new home for them for an appropriate donation. Dishwasher – This was in use at the Brightwell until fairly recently and replaced by a donated industrial dishwasher for the café. It is still in great working order. Scooter - currently we have two, one needs the batteries replacing. Both can be taken apart to fit in the car boot. Scooter Travel Cover – This is really handy if you are traveling on a plane and need to check-in a scooter or wheelchair. It’s thick and padded for the equipment’s protection. Brushed Steel and Chrome Handrails - we have two different types and at least 7 of one and twenty of the other. Stair Steady - The rail is 3.84 metres long and is fitted on a flight of 11 stairs. It will be professionally removed and It is important to have it professionally fitted. It was supplied and fitted by Dolphin Western Ltd in Clevedon. Car Ramp: This is a heavy-duty ramp for scooters or wheelchairs and can be taken apart into two pieces and folded into a case shape for carriage. It should be suitable for most cars and may be used as to get over a door ledge or step. If you are interested in any if these items, would like any other information, please call our reception team on 01454 201 686 or email hello@thebrightwell.org.uk

The new SaeboMas dynamic arm support is a piece of equipment that has been on the physiotherapy wish list for several years. It is an absolutely fantastic addition to the physiotherapy department. The equipment is designed to facilitate support for those who have limited movement in their shoulder, elbow and arm. The dynamic mobile arm support system suspends the limb eliminating the weight of the arm, lessening fatigue. It also allows the correct alignment of the joints, when making movement, lessening pain and discomfort. The equipment greatly enhances an individual's capability to participate in therapeutic rehabilitative tasks which encourages them to keep going. This is of particular benefit in allowing an individual to make repetitive movements, that they would otherwise be unable to do, through fatigue, pain or weakness. Repetition is a great tool in neurological physiotherapy as it helps the brain to remember the pathways involved in making a particular movement. It is also incredibly useful for strengthening and stretching specific muscle groups and in conditions such as stroke recovery, this can lead to lasting improvements and even restoration of functionality. Amrik has found that the SaeboMas is also helping people who have limited reach, the equipment can support the arm, enabling individuals to practice reaching further. This conditions and strengthens the muscles over time and again sparks the neural pathways of the brain. Please take a look at these two excellent videos showing Val Nash before the Saebo and one using the equipment. Impressive results! Before - with using the SaeboMas After - whilst using the SaeboMas One of our members that has been using this equipment with Amrik says “It is very good… I can actually move my arm. The movement feels natural and comfortable, not forced… I think it will help as I use it more regularly”. If you would like to find out more about the SaeboMas please speak to your Centre physiotherapist or email Amrik.sidhu@thebrightwell.org.uk

Thank you to a fantastic bunch of volunteers from TSB located at the Bradley Stoke Business Park, who on the 21 June, helped us continue to tackle some tough tasks in our garden area. Work was started on the garden furniture turning a well weathered chair into something resembling it’s original form, the clearing of the rear of the Centre was finished, window cleaning was carried out along with weed tackling and lawn mowing to name but a few tasks… Thank you and hopefully see you all again next year, if not sooner.

Over the last month we have had 3 amazing teams of volunteers from the Lloyds Banking Group, who kick started this year’s gardening projects, making an incredible difference by progressing tasks commenced by other groups. The teams were with us on the 25 May and then again on 8 and 13 June. We have been so lucky with the weather, every time the Lloyds Bank teams have been with us. As well as the continuous weeding that was undertaken, helping to collate goody bags and help prepare for our successful Colour Run, we also created raised beds ready for planting , started clearing waste from the rear of the Centre, started work on the composting area, clearing our drainage channels, to name but a few challenges. Apologies to anyone who is not shown in our photos. Thank you for your help, we look forward to seeing you again soon.