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On Sunday we held a 'January Jumble' event which opened our Brightwell Shop up on a much larger scale. From 11am - 2pm the centre was open for charity shopping along with our Cafe serving up hot drinks and cake to enjoy. We had a variety of items on offer including clothes, books, games, household items and jewellery. A number of locals visited in search of a bargain and a slice of cake. In total we raised just short of £400. A big thank you to everyone who donated items in the lead up to this event, without your support this event would not have been possible. And to everyone that attended, thank you, we hope to be able to hold something similar in the future, and we hope to see you there.

As well as our excellent one to one and group physio sessions we also offer online sessions via Zoom.   These classes have been successfully run by Milie and now Audry, who has recently joined us as a Physiotherapist, has taken these on.   There are two classes every Wednesday and members can take part in either or both classes, whichever suits their needs and requirements.  The suggested contribution for each class is £5.   Wednesday 12-12.30pm: Seated Zoom Class suitable for  upper limb strengthening Strength and power training with the use of dumbbells to increase blood circulation for endorphin release and to develop muscle tone and strength. Helps improve balance to avoid injuries.   Wednesday Zoom 12.30-1pm: Standing Zoom Class for standing balance and lower limb strengthening/stretching. Endurance, strength and balance focused. Great class for those who are unable to commute to the centre but want to stay active and increase their fitness.  ​ These classes are great for additional sessions in between your normal physio or oxygen appointments or for those who can’t always get to the Centre. Suitable for all levels of ability.   How do I join these classes? Call or book in at  Reception and provide us with the email that you use for your Zoom account. Audrey will send you a link that can be used each week.   Don’t forget that you can pay for your classes on Standing Order.   For more detail about the Therapies we offer please visit our Therapies and Physiotherapy  pages of our website.   You can also keep up to date with all the latest news on Health and Well-being on our blog, click here to check it out.   Audrey looks forward to welcoming you to her Zoom classes.

We have a number of coats and tops that have been left in the Oxygen Suite. Several have been there for months! If these items are not claimed by 14 February, they will be found a new home. If these belong to you, please call Angela on 01454 201686

Dunelm kindly donated a variety of gifts to The Brightwell in December. Dunelm's 'Delivering Joy' initiative takes place over the festive season and asks Dunelm customers to buy Christmas gifts that will then be donated to local charities to spread some joy at Christmas. We were very fortunate to be selected as a cause to receive some donations for the centre and volunteers. We would like to say a massive thank you to Dunelm for their kind donations and for thinking of us, they really brought smiles to all of our volunteers faces. More specifically, thank you to our local Dunelm store at Cribbs Causeway, and to staff members Caroline, Katie and Claire who helped with the planning and collection of the donations.

My name is Mark Whitehouse and I’ve been a Member, Supporter and Trustee of The Brightwell for many years. Where to start? I was born and bred in Surrey. My birth certificate says I was born in Twickenham which was part of Surrey in those days, today it’s classed as part of London. I grew up with my mum and dad, sister and brother, me being the baby of the family. When I was at school, I always had aspirations of being an airline pilot. I’m useless at exams and I never got the qualifications required. Actually, I left school in 1979 with one ‘O’ level, in woodwork, one CSE in geography and one in human biology. Not exactly fantastic results and the reason I was unable to follow my aviation career. Later on in life I learnt to fly a Boeing 757 & 767 full motion flight simulators in the BA Training Centre at Heathrow airport. Dreams can come true if you work at it! I decided to follow in my father’s footsteps and took on an apprenticeship with Ronson products (the lighter manufacture) to become a precision Toolmaker. After 3 years of my 5-year apprenticeship my parents decided to move to Horsham in West Sussex so I had to give up my career in engineering. It was during my employment in an estate agents I was introduced to computing. The computer kept breaking and I kept fixing it, this was in 1982. My passion for IT began then! I saved up and purchased a ‘Commodore Vic20’ and taught myself the computer language ‘Basic’. In those days computing was a ‘dark science’ but I loved it and wanted to pursue it further. Ironically, six months later my parents move back to Twickenham! We had lots of friends and relations back in Surrey! Anyway, I applied and got the position of customer engineer for the 8th IBM personal computer dealership in the UK in 1983 and never looked back. In those days I physically had to build the computers, to install a floppy disk drive (no hard disks back then) I had to use a frequency counter and an oscilloscope to set the correct alignment; too much techie stuff, sorry! After a couple of years I’ve got involved heavily in networking and designed and installed some of the first PC networks in the UK. Back then I became (not by choice) a bit of an authority on networking/data transmission being headhunted by a number of manufacturers. I even acted as a consultant to Microsoft in the UK helping to design the first release of Windows (blimey I’m showing my age!). Without commenting on every company my career took me through, I ended up working for Intel Corporation running their software division across Europe. I seemed to spend my life flying around Europe and North America, sounds glamorous but trust me after a few years it tends to wear you down. Spending hours walking around airports I had noticed that I was struggling with my walking so my doctor sent me for an MRI scan. In 2003 I was officially diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. I had some good insurances so opted to quit my career and entered the slow lane. I moved to Uphill, Somerset, in 2007 to be nearer my family. I did a charity walk (wheel) from Edinburgh to London. 7 of us (with MS) and their helpers. It took exactly 1 month and we raised just over £35K for the MS Society. After moving to Somerset, I stumbled across the West of England MS Therapy Centre in Nailsea. Struggling with my mobility I joined and started Physiotherapy, which I still attend at the Centre, on a weekly basis. I volunteered my services and started out redesigning the website, which was rather basic at the time!  This later progressed to designing and creating the database that the Centre still uses today. At the time we were building a new Centre in Bradley Stoke (where we reside today) so I helped design the network layout cable design and wiring closet located in our IT room. I even integrated the CCTV so people could watch the building of the new Centre, live over the Internet. I became a Trustee in 2014. We started off with two computers, now we have nine desktops, 14 laptops all loaded with office 365 and cloud based services. In our IT room we have upgraded to some advanced ethernet switches that we can manage from anywhere! We upgraded our Wi-Fi system which seamlessly works throughout the Centre (even inside the oxygen chamber)  The best IT systems silently work in the background which is what I wanted to achieve. I work closely with Dave Whittaker, another IT/Database Volunteer, who is a great support and sounding block.    In 2019 I met Evelyn and we married two years later. Evelyn’s heritage is from the Philippines, her caring nature shines through and is a tremendous help to me, to be honest not sure what I’d do without her. I could go on and on about IT and everything associated with it!! I’m often at the Centre (with Evelyn) I realise it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I’m really proud of all our Centre has achieved and will gladly show anyone who is interested what great systems we have in place. Just come and have a chat if you see me! See you at The Brightwell soon! Best Wishes Mark

This wonderful hamper contains an assortment of chocolates, wine, toiletries and a valentines teddy.  This hamper will delight your loved ones. It's the perfect gift for Valentine's Day.  Contents of the hamper M&S Swiss Chocolate Bar, Merlot Wine Red TY Teddy M&S Percy Pigs Cuvee Champagne Beech's Stawberry Fondants Guylian Chocolates Sanctuary Spa set M&S Swiss Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bar Heart Loofas Heart Chocolate Lollies Nestle Dairy Box Chocolate Set.   All Beaifully presented in a gift-wrapped Hamper! Click here to Buy Your Tickets This draw will take place on Wednesday 12th February.Worth £60 You can buy your tickets for £2 each online or from reception.   Thank you for supporting The Brightwell!!

As you may be aware, the hardworking and dedicated team at Inclusive Change at Work (ICAW) have their offices based here at The Brightwell Centre. Project Sandbox is a podcast series that ICAW are producing, in partnership with the Avon and Somerset Police Crime Commissioner. Full details can be found at   https://icaw-cic.com/sandbox . This really is a passion project for the team at Inclusive Change at Work. The reason that they are focusing on Digital Wellbeing is because vulnerable young people and adults face an increased risk of exploitation – especially when they are online.  In particular, neurodivergent and disabled individuals are at greater risk of becoming victims to online scammers and predators, and they’ve found that fewer disabled people feel confident online compared to their non-disabled peers. Many neurodivergent adults report experiencing online harassment and bullying, and parents are not necessarily aware. So, Project Sandbox is as much an educational project as it is about spreading awareness.  As per the image above, there will be six podcast episodes including: Episode 1 - Misinformation: Separating Fact from Fiction Episode 2 - Apps and Social Media: What Young People Want Adults to Know Episode 3 - Gaming: Staying Safe While Playing Online Episode 4 - Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges Episode 5 - Cyber Security and Law: Unlocking Career Pathways Episode 6 - Loneliness and Community: Building Digital Resilience  ICAW are running the project from 17 January to 28 March 2025.  They are looking for volunteers who would like to get involved in the production, be a guest on, and interview guests for the podcasts. They are aiming to record the sessions on 7th February, 21 February, and 7 March, provisionally.  The Brightwell would very much like to support this important project. We are asking all the Brightwell Community to assist if you can, including, staff, members, carers, and volunteers. If you would like to get involved, please email Becca Burke at: info@icaw-cic.com . Thank you!

This project helps people living with and affected by MS across Wales and the Southwest of England (Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire). It’s here to help you navigate local services, support, activities and resources to help you live well with MS. This project is funded by Wales and West Utilities until March 2026. Who can access the project? This project is for people who are living with MS as well as their family and friends and any unpaid carers. What services does the project provide? Community Connections provides information and guidance around a range of subjects including: advice about finances cost of living related information energy efficiency information carbon monoxide awareness the Priority Service Register. Community Connections works with local Citizens’ Advice services, and other expert organisations, to ensure that you’re able to access benefits advice. It also works with health and social care providers, as well as other local organisations, to improve access to wellbeing services and activities. How can I access the service? To access the service, complete the referral form. This project is funded by Wales and West Utilities through the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA).

We are very excited to be holding our first Jumble on Sunday 26 January from 11am until 2pm, here at the Centre. Our Brightwell Shop is doing really well, so we are making this a big event to sell the items we have in stock! For 3 hours only we are opening the Centre up to offer a great selection of items for sale including clothes, books, games, household items and jewellery. Our Brightwell Café will also be open, so enjoy a coffee whilst you shop! Enjoy 3 hours of relaxed Shopping and bring your friends too!

We are very much looking forward to out first Carers Support Group Meeting next Thursday afternoon. This free session is open to any carers and will be held at 2pm on Thursday 16 January. We are very grateful to Wendy Patterson, who will be the Group Host for this and future sessions. Wendy has a long-standing interest and commitment to the importance of supporting carers in the vital role they play - a role which can be very rewarding but sometimes demanding and exhausting. She has had experience of working with carers in a variety of ways throughout her career as a Medical Social Worker, NHS Disability Services Manager, Counsellor and within several different voluntary sector services. She has also had first-hand experience, over the years, of being a carer  to four different family members, most recently, and for many years, for Wendy’s husband who had MS. We look forward to welcoming carers from our Brightwell Community to this first session. Please can you advise the Reception team if you will be attending.

Happy New Year! May I wish everyone a very happy and healthy 2025! I hope you had a good Christmas break and managed to spend some time with friends and family. I was very fortunate to have my two children at home as well as many other family members, so it was a very busy and  full-on Christmas in our house! I know that many of you have succumbed to this horrible cold and flu bug that is doing the rounds, please take care as it appears to be making people feel exhausted. Get well soon if you are or have been poorly with it. 2025 is an important year for The Brightwell as we are celebrating our 40th Anniversary! Can you believe the Centre has been around for that long? Well, I know that some of you can, because you have been with the Centre from the very beginning!  We will obviously be celebrating such a momentous occasion and are planning a number of events which we will be sharing the information about very soon. However, as members and supporters, if you have any ideas of how we should mark this special anniversary, please let me know directly. Our fundraising focus for January is our “Move4MS” campaign encouraging everyone to be as active as possible whilst fundraising for The Brightwell. For further information please visit www.thebrightwell.org.uk/events/move4ms-3  and join in! We are also holding our first Jumble Sale on Sunday 26 January at the Centre, please come along and bag some bargains. Likewise, if you have any suitable As-New items or unwanted Christmas gifts, we would be very grateful if you could donate them for the Brightwell Shop. Paula has been tempting us with some new menu choices; today …. and yesterday  I enjoyed a jacket potato with a veggie, bean and chili filling - delicious! Come and have a tea, coffee, lunch or afternoon cake with us the next time that you are in the Centre. Tell your friends about the Brightwell Café – it’s open to everyone! I thought this photo would give you a smile, the Gonks were made for each department: Café, Oxygen and Reception by Karen Parsons one of our Members. Thank you Karen! I am guessing that a popular New Year’s Resolution amongst Members may be  to improve your personal well-being and fitness, why not ensure that you are making the most of the therapies available at The Brightwell  to reach your goals. I look forward to seeing you the next time you visit the Centre. Best Wishes, Doro