Search Results

By becoming a member of the Centre, you will be able to access all the therapies and services we offer. Membership is via self-referral and is available to those affected by MS, or any other neurological condition, at £35 annually. If you are recovering from an injury, long Covid, cancer or any other health condition that you feel would benefit from the therapies we offer you can also self-refer and become a member, this is £50 for a 12-month membership. Further useful Information Please visit our Home page to view all the information you need and to download the relevant application forms For new members with neurological conditions Please download our Members Pack. For new members with non-neurological conditions Please download a registration form for Bristol Therapy. For those with sports injuries Please download a sports registration form. If you cannot download or print any forms, we can do this for you at the Centre. If you have any queries, whatsoever, please call us on 01454 201686 or email us on hello@thebrightwell.org.uk and one of our team will be delighted to help. We look forward to welcoming you to The Brightwell.

We were delighted to take part in, yet another excellent community event organised by Bradley Stoke Town Council, this time a really well attended Firework Display, taking place on 5 November. Sharon Petela, Town Clerk, commented” We would like to thank everyone who helped to make this year’s Fireworks Display so successful. We genuinely could not run the event without this support and goodwill from the volunteer marshals and bucket collectors plus the brilliant support from Bradley Stoke Radio. Also, the amazing Bradley Stoke Rotary Club with their very well organised BBQ.” This year's Firework Display was an amazing event with the rain holding off until the event had finished. The setting off the fireworks to music (with a movie theme) was the finishing touch. So much positive feedback has been received with many people saying it is the best fireworks display they have attended. It was lovely to see so many residents of the town gathering to enjoy the free event. Everyone at The Brightwell would like to thank Libby Jordan and all the volunteers who wrapped up warm and rattled their collecting buckets. The bucket collection on the night has now been counted and the final bucket collection total was over £2,400, money was also received through app donations, food vendor contributions and various stalls. The total is expected to be in the region of £3,000. The Brightwell is very fortunate to be one of three charities benefitting from the night’s fundraising. The other two charities selected by the Mayor are Prostate Cancer UK and Mamas Bristol. We always feel very privileged to be supported by the wonderful community of Bradley Stoke. Thank you to everyone who took part and donated.

In our ongoing effort to maintain a safe and harmonious community we would like to bring to your attention a few important points regarding Wheatfield Drive. 1. Speed Limit reminder: 20 MPH Safety is always a priority, and we want to ensure that everyone in our community feels secure. Please be reminded that the speed limit along Wheatfield Drive is 20 miles per hour. Driving under this limit not only helps prevent accidents but also minimises noise and enhances the quality of life for all residents. 2. Pedestrians Take Priority When pedestrians are crossing or waiting to cross the road, whether at a designated crossing or elsewhere along Wheatfield Drive, it is our collective responsibility to make sure we stop and allow them to cross. This simple act of courtesy and consideration ensures that everyone can navigate safely. This is particularly relevant during the busy drop off and pick up periods at Wheatfield School. 3. Responsible Parking Driving carefully and parking responsibly along Wheatfield Drive when the Brightwell car park is full is a simple gesture that goes a long way to show that we are considerate and respectful to our neighbours. We thank you for your attention and consideration to these important community guidelines and count on your support to make sure that we are all adhering to these. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Wishing you all safe travels to and from the Centre. Doro Pasantes CEO

How much does it cost? All the sessions for those members living with neurological conditions are subsidised through our fundraising efforts and supporter donations. However, as a charity we do ask for a contribution towards each session, the details of which are below. It is the Charity’s policy to never deny someone support due to financial reasons and we welcome the opportunity to confidentially discuss any payment issues with anyone struggling to contribute towards their therapy sessions. Contributing by Standing Order ​ Where possible we request that members contribute by standing order. The benefits are as follows: It helps us with planning for staffing/volunteer levels Members know they have a definite booking. You only contribute for 44 weeks a year, to take into account holidays We are only usually closed for 1 week over Christmas and New Year You know you have made the right contribution, so there are no concerns about forgetting. It is easier to budget. Adjustments can be made for long term absence e.g. hospitalisation or prolonged illness. Standing orders are worked out on an average of 44 weeks per year if someone attends weekly. This takes into account 8 weeks of nonattendance for any reason. 1-2-1 Physio @ £25 per session X 44 weeks / 12 months = £91.66 per month Oxygen @ £15 per session X 44 weeks / 12 months = £55.00 per month Exercise class @ £ 8 per session X 44 weeks / 12 months = £29.33 per month For fortnightly sessions the following applies: 1-2-1 Physio @ £30 per session X 22 weeks / 12 months = £55.00 per month Please download a Standing Order Form A member of staff or a member of our Reception Team will be pleased to work out your monthly payment with you based on your individual treatment plan. We can also print off any forms and complete them with you. For further information please visit our Therapies page

Winter Solstice Sunrise Swim 7am | Friday 22 December Our charity swims at the legendary West Country Water Park are HUGELY successful & a fantastic way to support the Centre whilst having a blast with your friends & family. Are you up for the challenge of a lake dip this December? There's no expectation to fundraise in addition to the sign up fee but hey, you may like to set up a Just Giving page as we're sure your pals will be pretty impressed by your impulsiveness to have a go!! Go on . . . this exhilarating swim is the perfect way to set you up for the busy festive period ahead. They'll not only be a pretty chilly lake to enjoy but also; Festive headgear sale - let's get fantastically festive! Scrumptious cakes and bakes to purchase Old school raffle with some fantastic prizes up for grabs! Tickets are £12 each with 40% of ticket sales coming to The Brightwell. https://ecom.roller.app/.../activitiesfull.../en/products... More info to follow on this one of a kind festive fundraiser so keep your peeled!

When and where 03 Dec, 11:00 – 14:00 The Brightwell, Bradbury House, Wheatfield Drive, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 9DB, UK About Come and join us for a fabulous festive market as we countdown to Christmas. With a variety of different local stall holders, you are sure to find the perfect Christmas gifts for family and friends. Showcasing a wide variety of gifts and crafts this will be the perfect opportunity to start (or finish) your Christmas shopping. This year we will even be joined by the fabulous team from Puxton Park for a meet and greet with some of their gorgeous animals for donation to The Brightwell. So, come along and kick off the festive season whilst supporting The Brightwell and our mission to support people affected by MS and other neurological conditions. There will be refreshments on sale throughout the event to purchase and festive carols to get you in the spirit; Christmas starts here! There is no need to book just come along and enjoy, entry is FREE. Should you wish to have a stall at this event please contact; community@thebrightwell.org.uk

The Brightwell has been approached to ask for potential participants for a eesearch project. You are being invited to take part in a research project. Before you decide to consent to take part it is important for you to understand why the research is taking place and what your participation will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Please consider carefully whether you wish to consent to take part. Who is doing this research? This research is being carried out by a Trainee Clinical Psychologist, Tilly Mastroianni, at Royal Holloway, University of London, and is being supervised by Prof. Andy MacLeod. This research has received ethics approval from Royal Holloway, University of London’s Research Ethics Committee, with the approval ID of 3685. Why are we doing this research? This research is being done as part of a doctoral thesis, as part of a Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) being undertaken at Royal Holloway, University of London. Please download the document below to find out more and how to take part.

Our amazing friends at Bradley Stoke Lions Club arranged a fantastic Apollo Wind Band concert last month which raised an incredible £719 for the Centre. We'd like to take this opportunity to so thank Margaret from Bradley Stoke Lions for organising this wonderful event, and having us as the beneficiary, we are so grateful. Our core therapies #oxygentherapy & #neurophysiotherapy are vital for members to manage symptoms & live the best life possible. Our members daily lives are affected by their chronic conditions but we aim to ensure the Centre offers a calm, non-judgemental & friendly space to visit. We want our members to feel part of our community & see a positive affect on both their physical & mental health as a result of coming to The Brightwell. Events like these keep our life-enhancing therapy offering available to those affected by #neurologicalconditions. We rely solely on donations from the public, member contributions and fundraising initiatives to continue our work and are thankful for every penny and donation the Centre receives. If you are looking to support a local, independent charity we'd love to hear from you! Please contact community@thebrightwell.org.uk to discuss fundraising ideas or ways to support the Centre.

Hi, I am Angela Ball, the Oxygen Coordinator, here at the Brightwell. I am responsible for ensuring that everyone who uses oxygen therapy is safe, welcome, comfortable and cared for. I look after all of our dedicated and hard-working oxygen volunteers, and the running of the department. I ensure that we follow the correct treatment protocols for every condition and every individual. I book risk and continuing assessments and deal with appointments and any queries. One aspect of my role that I particularly enjoy is going out and giving talks so that people can find out more about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, it’s benefits and how The Brightwell can support potential service users and new members. I am passionate about how oxygen therapy can help people, as I know first-hand how I personally benefit from it. I was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS in 1995 and the NHS care was non-existent. I was given a handful of leaflets and no offer of post diagnosis care. I left that appointment feeling devastated, alone and suicidal. I had to give up work due to worsening symptoms and with two young children to support on statutory benefits and I began to research how I could be proactive in my own care. I found the Centre, in those days, we were located in Nailsea, and started oxygen treatment in Jan 1996. Straight away, I found it alleviated the overwhelming fatigue, my eyesight began to improve, and I was able to lose my eye patch! Then after about a year the numbness in my hands and feet had almost gone. I also had counselling and then found that I had improved so much that I was able to volunteer at the Centre. I started doing supermarket collections and later coordinating the team of collectors. As my confidence grew, I started a self-help group for members “chatterbox” and trained as a “Volunteer Chamber Operator” and also became a valued Trustee of the Centre, helping with the move from Nailsea to Bradley Stoke. My work as the Oxygen Coordinator is very rewarding as I thoroughly enjoy working with all the HBOT Users, all the volunteers and the whole team at The Brightwell. I feel very lucky to call many of those that I work with and help, close and long-term friends. I am the proud Mum of three grown up children, a daughter and two sons and have three grandchildren, who are an absolute joy! I moved to my brand-new house in Yate just over a year ago. 2024 promises to be a very exciting year, as I will be marrying my lovely partner of 14 years. I really enjoy meeting visitors and new members, please come and say hello to us in the Oxygen Department next time that you’re at The Brightwell. For more details about our Oxygen Therapy please click here

We have recently taken delivery of an outstanding piece of equipment kindly lent to us by Rugged Interactive. Several months ago, Libby Jordan, our Community and Events Development Officer, attended an event at the Empire Fighting Chance Charity based in Easton, Bristol. The key speaker for the event was Bob Reeves from the Foundation for Leadership through Sport. Libby was inspired by both the work Empire Fighting Chance do and by Bob’s talk. There was a piece of equipment being used which fascinated Libby and after showing an interest Bob introduced her to Robin Mills, from Rugged Interactive, who had supplied the Cardio Wall, which was the name of the equipment. The cardio wall is a highly interactive piece of equipment to develop fitness, coordination, movement and speed. Libby discussed at length the potential benefits for our members and service users at The Brightwell. Robin was keen to help and after discussions with the Directors at Rugged Interactive, they generously delivered a Cardio Wall Landscape to The Brightwell. This new piece of equipment was welcomed by the physio team and they have already been impressed by users positive reactions to using the wall. Due to the highly engaging nature of the activity, it helps develop not only positive physical strength and coordination but also aids mental agility. We are exceptionally grateful to Rugged Interactive. On 16 October, they team from Rugged Interactive came a videoed some of our physio team and members using the equipment to use in one of their promotional videos. We have promised to provide Rugged Interactive with feedback, not only to help our own physio users but potentially others living with chronic and neurological condition. Thank you to everyone involved, your interest in our charity and commitment is greatly appreciated.

On 13 September, we held the most incredible day at Village Hotel Club for our first Charity Abseil! We had promoted this challenging adventure mostly to corporate groups and local businesses, although some individuals took part. In total over 60 participants took part raising a whopping £4,500!! The Village Hotel Club, located in Filton, just a few miles from the Centre, is an iconic landmark being a distinctive black cube shaped building. It was from the top of this hotel that our brave supporters abseiled from! All the team from the Village hotel worked tirelessly to ensure that the day went smoothly and were excellent hosts, we would like to say a massive thank you to every member of staff who worked so hard on the day., everyone commented on how utterly amazing, so friendly and accommodating they were. Huge thanks, of course, goes to all the 60 participants who took the descent to raise funds for the Centre. We had a brilliant turn out of corporates join us on the day too so a shoutout to: CLARK - UK GKN Aerospace Business West Lovell Place Care Home Toyota Bristol South Rolls-Royce Filton For most of these businesses it was the first time that they had taken part in such a daring challenge, plus the first time many of them learnt more about the work we do here at The Brightwell supporting those living with chronic neurological conditions through specialist therapies. We will definitely be running this event again next year and we look forward to welcoming the participants to our wonderful Centre very soon, so that they can find out more about us. Thanks everyone involved!

Bradley Stoke Town Council will be launching the 2023 Charity Scarecrow Trail on Saturday 21 October at 9am. The trail will close on Sunday 29 October at 6pm. Twenty-one scarecrows will be distributed throughout Bradley Stoke for people to find using trail maps which can be purchased for £2 from today. The trail maps can be purchased from the Town Council Office, Jubilee Centre, Baileys Court Activity Centre, Brook Way Activity Centre, The Willow Brook Centre, Black Sheep Kitchen, Mamas Bristol and The Brightwell Centre. Visit Bradley Stoke Town Council website for more information: www.bradleystoke.gov.uk/scarecrow23 Councillor Dayley Lawrence, Mayor of Bradley Stoke said: ‘I am delighted that so many people and organisations have come forward to make scarecrows as all the money raised will go to the Mayor’s charities which are Mamas, the Brightwell Centre and Prostate Cancer UK. I really look forward to judging the scarecrows. This year the theme for the trail is ‘international’ to celebrate all the people in the world and the diverse cultures which we live in and embrace within the community of Bradley Stoke’. Councillor Natalie Field, Deputy Mayor of Bradley Stoke commented: ‘The scarecrow trail is great fun for families with children, but anyone can do it. It’s an enjoyable way of getting out and about and to be active whilst finding the scarecrows then working out which countries they represent. It’s wonderful as well that the people/organisations who have made the scarecrows are making them out of recycled materials. It shows people care about their environment.’ Libby, from the Brightwell Centre, who has worked alongside the Council remarked ‘The Brightwell are very excited to be part of the Charity Scarecrow event this year. There are some fantastic prizes up for grabs including day trips to local attractions and meals out to be won. I hope the community really enjoy this engaging activity through half term and wish everyone luck in finding the scarecrows and identifying which countries they represent.’ Photo shows – Mayor, Dayley Lawrence and Libby from The Brightwell Centre There will be an award ceremony for the best scarecrow and the Mayor’s favourite scarecrow on Saturday 4 November between 2.30pm and 4.30pm at the Brook Way Activity Centre.