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What is oxygen therapy? Oxygen therapy is often referred to as Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) or High Dose Oxygen Therapy (HDOT). This means that during your therapy session, you will be breathing in a higher concentration of oxygen whilst under increased atmospheric pressure (hyperbaric). With effect from August 2022, we have been generating our own Oxygen, with guaranteed supply and quality. What conditions can be treated? The majority of our members and Centre users live with chronic neurological conditions, predominantly Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Other conditions include: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Motor Neuron Disease (MND), Parkinson’s, Stroke and Fibromyalgia. More recently those suffering from Long Covid have also been benefiting from oxygen therapy. Therapy for Sports Injuries We frequently assist those with a variety of sports injuries. In the past, we have treated players from both amateur and professional football and rugby clubs as well as professional cricketers and ice hockey players. Due to an increased level of fitness in sportspeople, the number of sessions they require in the Chamber is reduced. Oxygen therapy is particularly beneficial for speeding up the repair of strains, breaks and soft tissue damage. For more details please visit our website www.thebrightwell.org.uk/oxygen-therapy

We have a great team of individuals taking on the Bristol Triathlon this morning all to raise funds and awareness for The Brightwell We wish you all the best of luck! If you’re in the area pop down to say hello and support them. The sun is shining for you all you’ve got this. Thank you so much! #Bristoltri #msawareness #thankful #bristol

Living with a neurological condition can be complex and challenging whether it’s caused by a long-term illness like Multiple Sclerosis or the sudden effects of something like long Covid. The Brightwell in Bradley Stoke provides a range of therapies – oxygen therapy, physiotherapy and specialist clinics – to help anyone suffering from a neurological problem, whether it’s permanent or temporary. Raising funds to provide these vital services is a constant struggle which is why Wards Solicitor’s Katherine Roe, who works in the Bradley Stoke office, is so delighted to have formed a very special partnership with The Brightwell. Make a Will – help The Brightwell Every month, Katherine – an Associate Solicitor in the Wills, Probate and Mental Capacity team – visits The Brightwell to help people who want to make or update a standard Will. She gives her time and expertise for nothing in return for a donation to the charity. Katherine says: “Our scheme with The Brightwell has been running for six months now and is proving very popular. “It is hugely rewarding to be able to provide properly drafted Wills whilst at the same time raising money for such a worthwhile and important cause. “Many of those who have decided to make a Will attend the centre on a regular basis. It is lovely to hear from them in person about how much they benefit from the therapies offered there and the difference it makes to them.” Why is it important to make and regularly review your Will? It puts you in control of the final destination of your estate and brings you peace of mind knowing that your family, friends and the charities of your choice will be provided for as you wish. ·It’s an inexpensive way of avoiding difficulties for your family and friends when you die because it sets out exactly what you want. You can appoint people you know and trust as executors so everything is handled how you want for your beneficiaries. ·Regularly updating your Will means you won’t miss out on fast changing tax laws like Inheritance Tax. You can be clear about what kind of funeral you want. How to make a Will with Wards at The Brightwell Katherine usually visits the centre on the first Friday of the month but please book ahead by contacting The Brightwell on 01454 201 686 or email community@thebrightwell.org.uk

We were delighted to receive a call a few weeks ago from Britt Hatton, who is an Civil Service Operational Delivery Graduate. Britt was looking to propose that a team of Volunteer Graduates could come out to The Brightwell to help and give up their time for the charity. We, of course, said yes please, and Doro Pasantes agreed a date for Thursday 11 May. We were so fortunate that the sun shone all day on the date of the visit. Steve Fitt, our Facilities Manager, had prepared a list of outdoor tasks for them to tackle. The team worked so hard and achieved far more than anyone could have anticipated, including a major de-weeding of the garden paths and blockwork around the Centre. They also started the setting out of the new vegetable-patch, which will be a fantastic addition to the garden once completed. Britt commented “We have all really enjoyed working outside today and everyone has been so kind and friendly.” Steve Fitt was more than impressed with the standard of help commenting: “I’m over the moon with what has been achieved, and very much hope they will return in the near future to help us again.” Thank you all so much, we are exceptionally grateful.

Thank you to everyone who came along to support our stall at the Stoke Gifford Village Fete today. The weather was glorious and we all had lots of fun, whilst increasing awareness of our charity and raising valuable funds too! If anyone would like to volunteer to help out at future events please do let the fundraising team know

This is the first post in a newly introduced category to our blog called Health & Well-being. In this part of the blog, we plan to bring you details of all the therapies available at The Brightwell, plus news and interesting articles and news about MS and other neurological conditions. The Brightwell offers a range of therapies including Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, in our Oxygen Chamber, Physiotherapy with one of our expert team, plus a host of other clinics and complementary therapies. Whether you are newly diagnosed and not yet a member, or whether you have benefited from our therapies for over 30 years we always have something to help and support you. If you would like to discuss your personal needs and requirements, please call us on 01454 201 686. #thebrightwell #msthetapy #physiotherapy #neurophusiotherapy #helpandsupport #neurologicalcondition

Treat yourself to a fun and relaxed craft class, where you will learn the art of candle-making using cruelty-free materials. • Bucks Fizz on arrival • Delicious Cupcakes throughout • Enjoy gorgeous scents and your own unique candle creation Buy Tickets When and where 26 May, 19:00 – 20:00 Bradley Stoke, The West of England MS Therapy Centre Bradbury House, Wheatfield Dr, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 9DB, UK About The perfect relaxing evening awaits... 'cupcakes and candles' our brand new candle making workshop! Friday 26th May at 7pm (doors open 6.45pm) £28 per person (inc a £10 donation to the Centre to support those affected by neurological conditions) Treat yourself to a fun and relaxed craft class, where you will learn the art of candle-making using cruelty-free materials. Bucks Fizz on arrival Delicious Cupcakes throughout Enjoy gorgeous scents and your own unique candle creation Grab the opportunity to create something beautiful whilst catching up with friends or meeting new friends too. Tickets are limited so be sure to book quick if you'd like a place for this event. https://www.thebrightwell.org.uk/events/candles-and-cupcakes-candle-making-workshop

When and where 11 Jun, 13:00 – 18:30 Bradley Stoke, The Jubilee Green, Savages Wood Rd, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32, UK About The Brightwell brings to you our craziest fundraiser yet... Well, probably one of the 'funnest' & definitely the brightest that's for sure... The Brightwell Colour Run! Don't worry this run is all about having FUN! It isn't the competitive type in the slightest. in fact, you're unlikely to run that much at all, unless you’re a pro at running & laughing at the same time!!! Up to 3K family-friendly route! The Bradley Stoke Town Council are kindly letting us host the Colour Run on the Jubilee Green, so a HUGE thank you to them for making this possible. As the usual Festival won't be going ahead as this year, we really hope to bring the community together for this one-of-a-kind family-fun event. What to expect? Fun warm up session Up to 3K family-friendly route! 5 colour stations Music around the course Fun photo opportunity Goodie bags up for grabs! You won't want to miss this... it going to be a BLAST! There will also be a variety of refreshments available to purchase on the day. We have been fortunate enough to have these amazing local businesses sponsor the Colour Run, thank you; ·Aztec West Hotel and Spa The Black Sheep Kitchen and Bar West Country Water Park Willow Brook Shopping Centre Heats There will be a total of 3 heats on the day as follows: Heat 1: Registration at 1:30 / warm up at 1:45 / on the course from 2pm / two laps round the course / through the finish arch for photo finish! Heat 2: Registration at 2:30 / warm up at 2:45 / on the course from 3pm / two laps round the course / through the finish arch for photo finish! Adult = £15 Child 5+ =£10 Student 16+ 12 Family Ticket (up to 2 children & 2 adults) £40 What's included in your ticket price? Fresh white Colour Run T-Shirt ready to get colourful! Your own powder paint sachet to add some more fun to your warm up session Up to 2 laps around the colour course (1.5K 1 lap, 3K 2 laps) Take photos at The Brightwell photoback- backdrop at the fin Goodie bag to take away with you About The Brightwell So, lets go! Let's run, have fun and raise funds for your local neurological support centre. By buying a ticket to this event every penny you pay will be going towards ensuring that The Brightwell can continue to offer subsidised therapy to those affected by MS, ME, Fybromyalgia, Stroke survivors, and other neurological conditions. Through the therapies we are able to offer such as Neuro-Physiotherapy, & Oxygen Therapy our members are able to manage their symptoms and improve their overall wellbeing. We believe that it's important to raise awareness of these conditions and to celebrate the amazing people who achieve so much despite living with chronic illness. It is an opportunity to let anyone affected know that they are valued, and important and that we care. Accessibility At the Brightwell, it is a high priority to make sure that our events are inclusive to all. The colour run course is on grass and is mostly flat with only a very small incline. This should be suitable for most pushchairs and wheelchairs and there will be marshalls throughout the course to offer assistance should it be required. In the case of very bad weather closer to the date, or for further clarification please do not hesitate to get in touch. Parking The Jubilee car park will be closed for this event so on-street parking will be available and Willow Brook Shopping Centre has kindly said that attendees of this event can use the parking there, which is just a short walk away from the Jubilee Green. Safety Your safety is our priority, we are heavily marashaling this event to ensure everyone is safe and there shall be barriers and first aid provision on the day. We strongly advise wearing some form of eye protection, either sunglasses, glasses or goggles. These will be available on the day to purchase for an additional cost but feel free to bring your own. Although allergies to corn (and therefore cornstarch) are very rare we would strongly recommend that you do not participate in the Colour Run if you know you are allergic. Cornstach contains no other allergens. Full safety information can be found on our suppliers website https://www.holicolorpowders.co.uk/safe-powder-paint-colour-powder/ Environmental The powder paint is a mixture of cornstarch and food colouring and therefore will wash away very easily and cause no harm to the environment or wildlife. Please click here to visit the Events Section of our website.

We are always so pleased to keep up to date with our Brightwell 100 members and this news from Adele Haysom is very exciting. Adele Haysom MBE, Governance Consultant of AJH Governance, joined The Brightwell 100 last year. Adele works in the specialist field of advising schools, academies, educational trusts and even Councils on the governance of schools. When Adele received her MBE in recognition for her services to Education, she received her medal on the weekend of the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The ceremony took place at the Royal Bath & Wells Showground and the award was presented by Lord Lieutenant Annie Maw. So, when Adele received an invitation to the King’s first Garden Party at Buckingham Palace which took place on Wednesday 3 June just days before the Coronation, she was overwhelmed. Adele proudly said “The whole day was fantastic, we were so lucky with the weather, the sun shone gloriously all day. I was so fortunate to be able to take my husband Tim, daughter Zoe and son James with me. We really enjoyed the beautiful surroundings, it’s incredible to be in such beautiful gardens and woodland but to still be in the middle of London! Even though there were thousands of people there, we all felt very special and did get a glimpse of the King and Queen.” Well done Adele from everyone at the Brightwell we are very proud of you and thank you for your continued support.

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, IT equipment, plus other enhancements for service users. 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’s current focus is on our “Project Green” fundraising. We are very fortunate to have been given 114 x 250kw solar panels a few years ago and we will be looking in the future for battery storage. However, in the meantime the urgent situation is to convert all our lighting to LED, as we anticipate that our energy costs could rise by as much as six times today’s costs when our current deal ends! By converting to LED this will give us an anticipated cost saving of over 80% on our lighting bill. Based on the projected, increased costs, the payback period will potentially be less than 2 years. The total cost for this project is £21,000. We have already received £5,000 which is going to be used to change all the outdoor lighting to motion sensor LED in January. We are now looking for businesses to support us with this fundraising for the internal lighting. We are also looking 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. The vast majority of carers, looking after our members are partners or relatives and this can put a great strain on families. Therefore, we are looking for to run support groups for carers as well. The majority of the costs for running these groups is to buy in professional services, that our current staff and volunteers cannot offer. As can been seen in the list below, all the projects that we will need to raise money for add meaningful and added value ranging from Oxygen, Physiotherapy, talking and recreation therapies and general items to support Centre users and maintain the actual building. 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 | 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

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 outdoor space and new terrace enhancements. Although all these projects are very important to us, the Oxygen Generation project is the most important currently, as this will guarantee supply and continuation of our oxygen therapy sessions. Much of this project is well underway but we need a further £28,000 to complete it. There are several new additions to the July 2022 list including much needed IT equipment for the dedicated staff and volunteers plus additional items for the physiotherapy department. Please click here to download our July Wishlist from www.thebrightwell.org.uk/brightwell-100 If you would like to discuss any of these items in more detail or to discuss any other queries regarding The Brightwell 100, please contact Caroline Blake-Symes on 07970 038135 or email caroline.blake-symes@thebrightwell.org.uk Thank you for your support.

The original West of England MS Therapy Centre was opened in Nailsea in 1985 and at that time only offered oxygen therapy for its members. Over time physiotherapy, exercise and yoga were introduced. The founders were Jackie and Ray Brightwell and with the support of ARMS (Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis) a national organisation, they set up the first MS Therapy Centre to support people in the Bristol area. The Centre in Nailsea was expanded to include three industrial units but planning restrictions, the nature of the buildings and the cramped car parking facilities made improving our facilities and further expansion impractical. On 20 February 2012, we opened the doors at our brand new, purpose-built Centre in Bradley Stoke. The Centre was officially opened by The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, on 31 October 2012. In 2019, we began the transition to The Brightwell, a Centre for neurological wellbeing and physical recovery, supporting not just those with Multiple Sclerosis but anybody living with a neurological condition, their families and their carers too. Our aims, strengths and core values remain the same as they were way back in the Nailsea days. The change of name to “The Brightwell” is in recognition of our founders, Jackie and Ray Brightwell. This historical background explains about the makeup of our users and members. When the current location first opened many of our existing members, who were based in North Somerset, continued to enjoy the benefits of the therapies, and made their regular visits to Bradley Stoke. As can be seen above, based on 2021 membership data, many new members have since joined us, with a significant proportion now living in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. The Brightwell needs the support of the wider business community to continue to offer therapies and support services to those living with a life-changing neurological condition. You can make the most difference and become a corporate Brightwell 100 supporter from as little as £84 per month. For further details please visit www.thebrightwell.org.uk/brightwell-100 If you would like to discuss any queries regarding The Brightwell 100, please contact Caroline Blake-Symes on 07970 038135 or email caroline.blake-symes@thebrightwell.org.uk