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Bristol Breakfast Rotary Club have chosen The Brightwell as the headline charity for this year’s Dragon Boat Festival, on Sunday 19th June. We would like to say a heart-felt thank you to all the businesses and companies who have committed to entering this year’s Dragon Boat Race We would like to pass on our gratitude to: Atkins Ltd Alten Ltd Wentworth House Partnership Box Twenty Consulting Engineers Ltd Bristol Junior Chamber The Bush Consultancy CIMPA Ltd Crux Product Design Hoare Lea Imperial Brands Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP Rider Levett Bucknall Silverback Films Solarsense UK Ltd Sweet Construct Ltd TFT Vertical Aerospace VWV Solicitors Bristol Willmott Dixon Redland Green Club The Brightwell Buccaneers, The Brightwell’s own team, are prepped and raring to go for the Dragon Boat Festival Our team will be competing against 27 other teams to be crowned Dragon Boat Champions 2022. We're very proud of the great team taking on this challenge. Bhumika, Carmen and Anna are representing physio, Swati reception and Rhona's partner, Rich is standing in for the office. There's also a fair few of our volunteers, plus partners and friends taking part. However, if you would like to join our team, please call 01454 201686. We are looking forward to an action-packed, fun-filled day and thank everyone for their support and efforts. The Brightwell Team.

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. This is also the biggest capital expense with an outstanding requirement of £60,000. If we can raise sufficient funds for the Oxygen Generation project, we will also either need financial support or donated labour/services regarding the construction elements of this project. There are several new additions to this May 2022 list including much needed IT equipment for the dedicated staff and volunteers plus additional items for the physiotherapy department. Please click here to see the full Wishlist. We are looking for sponsors to either support us with a monthly standing order donation of £83.34 per month, a one-off donation of £1,000 or a commitment to a larger project. This £1,000 would currently buy oxygen masks for users in the chamber, storage lockers, a cardio fitness equipment for wheelchair users, a TV screen in the new café area and much more. 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

We are delighted to welcome Woodstock Homes to The Brightwell 100. Martin Newman, owner/MD of Woodstock Homes, recently visited the Centre and was very supportive not only with a generous donation but also with some positive insights into future strategies. Martin is keen that his donation is used towards enhancing the proposed new outdoor space. Everyone at The Brightwell is very much looking forward to using this new addition to our facilities. The groundworks, build and alterations will start shortly, hopefully in time for members to be able to enjoy the summer sunshine. Woodstock Homes is a privately-owned developer, with an established regional reputation, focused on creating and delivering high-quality homes, in desirable locations. Woodstock Homes is predominantly based in the Southwest of England and South Wales. For more information, please visit www.woodstockhomes.co.uk Thank you so much to Martin and the Woodstock team - we look forward to welcoming you back to The Brightwell very soon.

We are delighted to welcome Lee and Nicky to The Brightwell100. Lee and Nicky, owners of Blackfriars Auto Services based in Nailsea, quite literally came to our rescue! They gave us their time and expertise free of charge, as well as supplying parts at cost price. Equally as important, they saved the team at The Brightwell a great deal of stress and strain. They have been supporters of the Centre for several years and have even been attendees at a few of our excellent Quiz Nights! Nicky previously worked as a PA for someone living with MS, so is very aware of the support the Centre offers. Blackfriars Auto Services offer a full range of services and repairs for all makes, ages and fuel types of vehicles, as well as being an approved MOT Testing Centre. For more information, please visit www.blackfriarsautoservices.co.uk Thank you both so much- we look forward to welcoming you back to The Brightwell very soon.

Bristol Breakfast Rotary Club have chosen The Brightwell as the headline charity for this year’s Dragon Boat Festival. What is Dragon Boat Racing? Crews of up to 16 (minimum crew of 12) sit in pairs and paddle, each boat also has to supply a drummer to beat and, hopefully, keep everyone rowing in time. Sponsorship per team is a minimum of £1500, which is less than £100 each for a full team. Dragon Boat Events Ltd supply a fully trained and a professional helmsperson in the stern (back) to guide the boat, full first aid facilities and lifeguards. They also provide all the kit needed such as buoyancy aids, safety briefing, full instructions and, quite importantly, the paddles. Teams compete in Dragon Boats, which are a bit like a big canoe but with a carved dragons head on the bow and a dragon’s tail on the stern. When and Where? Sunday 19 June 2022. Baltic Wharf, Bristol Marina, racing begins at 10:00 am Who can take part​? To be part of the boat crew you'll need to walk on a narrow floating pontoon to get in (and out) of the boat, you will also need to support yourself when in the boat so that you can wield the paddle or bang the drum, for this event, to be on the boat you must be over 16. Although the safety record of the organisers is impeccable and buoyancy aids are provided, to take part in the racing you must be confident in your ability to swim 50 yards, fully clothed. There will also be plenty of opportunities to be involved shore side with The Brightwell support crew and all the teams will certainly benefit from a crowd of cheering supporters! Join the Brightwell Buccaneers!​ We weren't going to walk away from the chance to take part in this! The Brightwell team will be made up from friends, family, Centre members, staff and trustees. If you think you fit the bill email Rhona at the Centre. As we are likely to be a smaller team we hope our crew will manage to achieve about £300 in sponsorship each. Please call Rhona at The Brightwell on 01454 201686 How to take part Be it pals, your work mates or a sports team get yourself a crew together! You must register with the Bristol Breakfast Rotary. More info on the event can be found here www.bristolrotarydragons.org or on our website www.thebrightwell.org.uk/dragon-boat. Thank you for your support

The Brightwell 100 is our biggest corporate fundraising project that we have ever undertaken and one of the projects under that umbrella is a cafe lounge and terrace. The next stage of this exciting project is to have an accessible outdoor space leading from the cafe lounge for members to have an enjoyable place to relax and meet with others Funding for new electric doors was generously donated in December and we are now looking to raise funds for the following items: To create a hard standing patio area adjacent to the new door for external access. The space will be a square of 8 metres x 8 metres with non-slip paviours. The existing two wooden planters will be moved to the south side of the patio and 4 new planters will be built on the north side of the area. We will also need to purchase some additional garden seating and shading The Brightwell will be happy to install small brass “thank you” signs on the timber elements to show the sponsor names if appropriate. Likewise, for larger donation the Centre will be delighted for individual items to be sponsored and businesses will be able to publicise their donations and support of this partnership. Prices are inclusive of materials, labour and VAT. Support can be made by funding or donated labour. Patio including levelling base and non-slip paviours £5160 4 wooden planters- made from sleepers tbc £600 3 x wooden table sets £900 2 x shades £400 Project total £7,060 Please visit www.thebrightwell.org.uk/brightwell-100 to find out how you can help and become one of The Brightwell 100. If you would like to discuss your involvement in more detail, please email Caz Blake-Symes on caroline.blake-symes@thebrightwell.org.uk Thank you so much.

We are delighted and excited to launch The Brightwell 100 as of 7 February 2022! This new initiative will form the key part of our corporate fund raising, vital to keep our charity running and flourishing. The Brightwell, incorporating The West of England MS Therapy Centre, is looking to have a cohort of 100 corporate sponsors each supporting the charity with a “share” of £1,000. This will enable The Brightwell to develop and increase the services and support that we offer those living with chronic neurological conditions. There are several ways in which businesses can fund their share/s and become part of The Brightwell 100. Option 1 A one-off payment of £1,000 made directly to the charity. If the supporting business is a sole trader/individual, we would be very grateful for the additional support of Gift Aid. Option 2 The £1,000 donation can be spread over a 12-month period with a standing order of £83.34 per month. If the supporting business is a sole trader/individual, we would be very grateful for the additional support of Gift Aid. Option 3 The donation can take the form of professional services, for example labour/materials for building projects or professional services such as legal or architect fees. What are the benefits for The Brightwell 100 “Shareholders”? · Supporting a worthwhile charity. · Enabling them to fulfil their charitable aims and objectives. · Being associated with a reputable charity (guidelines will be provided about use of the name and logo) · Knowledge that their donation will be 100% effectively used unlike major national/international charities. · Tax efficient way to donate, receipts and letters of thanks to be provided. · Publicity via our website and social media outlets for the supporting businesses. · Promotional opportunities with visits to the Centre, photos with members of staff/Centre members usual permissions and safeguarding to be in place. · Use of meeting rooms when built. · Long term relationship to see how donated money has been used. How your support will be used We will have a wide range of projects and ongoing requirements and in most cases, supporters will be able to have an input into where their funds are used. In the case of larger donations for more significant projects, supporters will be involved especially in the case of donated services. As of February 2022, our projects and “Wishlist” fall into five main categories · Oxygen Department · Physiotherapy Department · Members Area · Project Green · New Café Area For more details and costs for specific items please visit www.thebrightwell.org.uk/brightwell-100 Thank you for your interest in The Brightwell 100.

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