We would like to thank Sophia for this heartfelt and honest story of her journey living with Functional Neurological Disorder and how she is finding the strength to live with this condition. Chapter One: The Day Everything Changed People often think disability begins with a single moment. For me, it began with questions. Why wouldn't my legs do what I was asking them to do? Why was my body behaving in ways I couldn't control? Why did every test seem to come back without the answers I desperately needed? I never imagined that one day I would rely on a wheelchair, hoists, carers, or physiotherapy just to do things I once took for granted. Before Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), life looked very different. I was independent. I had dreams, plans, and a future that seemed predictable. Like most people, I assumed tomorrow would be much like today. I was wrong. When FND entered my life, it didn't arrive quietly. It challenged everything I thought I knew about myself. Suddenly, my body and my brain no longer communicated in the way they once had. My legs could stop working. My speech could disappear. Fatigue could overwhelm me without warning. Some days I experienced non-epileptic seizures that left me exhausted and frightened. The hardest part wasn't always the physical symptoms. It was grieving the life I thought I had lost. I mourned my independence. I mourned the simple things, standing to make a cup of tea, walking without thinking, making spontaneous plans, believing my body would always support me. There were moments when fear whispered that this was all my life would ever be. But fear doesn't get to write my story. Hope does. Hope looked like I was attending physiotherapy at the Brightwell even when I was exhausted. Hope looked like I was celebrating standing for a few more seconds than the week before. Hope looked like learning that progress isn't measured by perfection; it's measured by perseverance. Every transfer. Every exercise. Every deep breath. Every small achievement became another brick in rebuilding my confidence. Along the way, I discovered something unexpected. Strength isn't about never falling. Strength is deciding to keep getting back up, even when the journey feels impossible. My diagnosis changed my life, but it didn't change my heart. It didn't take away my compassion. It didn't take away my determination. Instead, it gave me a new purpose. I wanted people to understand that FND is real. That invisible illnesses deserve to be believed. That behind every wheelchair, every walking aid, every seizure, and every smile is a person who is fighting battles most people never see. That purpose led me to become involved with FND Friends, helping create opportunities for others living with FND to feel seen, supported, and understood. If my story helps just one person feel less alone… If one family understands FND a little better… If one newly diagnosed person reads these pages and thinks, "Someone finally understands"… Then every difficult chapter will have been worth writing. This isn't a story about giving up. It's a story about adapting. It's a story about courage. It's a story about finding light, even on the darkest days. Most of all… It's a story about never letting a diagnosis decide who you are. Because although FND changed my life… It never took away the person I was always meant to become. Sophia Garland

On Saturday, we were delighted to hold our 2026 Summer Fair, and what a wonderful success it was. From 11am until 2pm, we welcomed members of our community to the centre for an enjoyable afternoon filled with fun, refreshments, games, and plenty of opportunities to browse our fantastic range of stall holders. It was wonderful to see so many people come together and enjoy everything the fair had to offer. There was plenty to keep our younger visitors entertained too. Children enjoyed taking part in classic fairground games, including Hook a Duck and the ever-popular Lucky Dip, while our glitter tattoos added a touch of sparkle and excitement to the day. The success of the Summer Fair would not have been possible without our incredible team of volunteers. From setting up before the event, to running stalls, the café and activities throughout the day, to staying behind afterwards to clear everything away, their hard work, enthusiasm and dedication shone through. They gave their time so generously and helped create the warm, welcoming atmosphere that made the day so special. We are incredibly grateful for everything they do, quite simply, we couldn't do it without them. We are also thrilled to share that the event raised just over £1,400, an incredible achievement that will help support the centre. This fantastic total would not have been possible without the generosity of everyone who attended, donated, volunteered, and supported our stall holders throughout the day. Thank you to everyone who helped make the Summer Fair such a memorable occasion. It was a wonderful day from start to finish, and we are incredibly grateful for the support of our amazing community. We can't wait to do it all again next year! ☀️🍰💛

We were delighted to welcome a lovely group of Corporate Volunteers on 13 July from Lloyds Banking Group to help us with planting the Woodstock Homes Multiple Sclerosis pocket garden that was brought to the Centre following the RHS Badminton Flower Show. The team got stuck in with digging and planting, under direction of one of the garden’s designers, Micheal Leech, who also did an epic job of loading and transporting two van loads of flowers, furniture and sculptures from Badminton to the Centre. The team were also assisted on the day by our own brilliant Brightwell Garden volunteers Dave and Sylv, and Jen, along with her colleague Jenny, who also did a tremendous job. Other helpers on the day were Martin and Callum Blake-Symes, and Rosie and Paul Howell who did a great job of pruning and tidying up the garden border hedges and patio areas. The whole team did fantastic work digging and planting, including planting a beautiful new tree, and watering all the new additions. As well as planting the seating space that represented the original RHS garden design, they also planted in other areas of the grounds with additional plants. They worked like absolute stars, and we couldn’t be more pleased! It was hard work – the ground was dry and rocky, and spaces for the beautiful neurone sculptures from the RHS garden also had to be dug out in the main flower border, which proved to be quite a challenge! We are also extremely grateful to the Lloyds team for generously donating and collecting additional compost bags for the plants on the day. The Lloyds team, along with the fabulous extra helpers did a tremendous job on the day. We look forward to welcoming the group back again soon!

Doro’s story of the RHS garden starting from September 2025 to this week….. What a few weeks it has been! From the final push to get the Woodstock Homes Multiple Sclerosis Pocket Garden ready for the RHS Badminton Flower Show, to opening day and a Silver Medal, to the relocation on Monday 13 July to the Brightwell garden, with the help of an army of wonderful volunteers. It has genuinely been a whirlwind, and one I will never forget. I keep coming back to the same thought: none of it would have been possible without community. Not in an abstract, "we're all in this together" way, but in the very real, hands-in-the-soil, turning-up-when-it's-hot, staying-late-when-it-matters kind of way. So please indulge me while I say a proper thank you: To James Hutchinson and Woodstock Homes, for believing in this garden from the start and sponsoring it into existence. To Michael Leech (The Somerset Gardener) and Gavin Moth, whose design, hard work and heart made a first-time RHS collaboration into a Silver Medal-winning garden. To Sarah Watson, for your help along the way. To Martin and Linda Newman, and to Caz and family, for being there through it all. To our incredible volunteers from Lloyds Banking Group and Aviva, and to Erica and the team at Kellaway Building Supplies, and P Phillips and Sons, thank you for your time and generosity. To Lara and Victoria for taking on the heat to raise Brightwell awareness, to Dave and Sylv, Jen and Jenny, our wonderful garden volunteers, to Sharon Lou who made sure everyone was fed and watered, and Helen and Monique who welcomed and looked after volunteers on the day, I am so grateful. To Ross and Kevin at BBC News Points West, and Joe Sims at BBC Radio Bristol, thank you for telling this story with such care, and for giving it your time and airspace. To every member of Brightwell staff and volunteers who kept things running while we all got swept up in garden fever. To everyone who visited us at Badminton, everyone who voted for the garden, and every gardening influencer who shared our story, thank you for carrying it further than we ever could alone. It underlines something we already know: when a community pulls together, extraordinary things happen. We see it in the volunteers who helped prep the Therapy Garden path for resurfacing, so every member can have access. We see it in the local Bradley Stoke community, who show up time after time. We see it every day in members who support each other through living with a neurological condition, and in a team of staff, volunteers and supporters who always go the extra mile. Where there is a will, there really is a way, and we have never felt that more than we do right now, looking at a garden that began as a sketch, and now sits, replanted, in our own Therapy Garden for members to enjoy for years to come. Check out our previous Blogs for the background story. Thank you to everyone, and please forgive me if I have left anyone out, it is only by name, not intention. This one belongs to the whole community. We would like to invite you all to our Summer Fair this coming Saturday, 18 July, from 11 am- 3 pm, when the gardens will be open for everyone to enjoy. #GardeningwithMS #SomersetGardener #RHSBadminton #WoodstockHomes #BBCRadioBristol #BBCPointsWest #TheBrightwell

Paul John, a long‑standing member, supporter, and the organiser behind the well‑known PJ Track Days, is taking on a new kind of challenge this summer: a charity skydive to raise funds for our centre. And he won’t be doing it alone. His close friend Shaun will be jumping with him, thanks to a very simple ultimatum from Paul: deliver the best man speech or jump out of a plane. Shaun chose the plane. Skydiving has been on Paul’s list for years. Living with MS, he’s a committed member of our centre and wanted to take on something that pushed him while giving back at the same time. He’s even been working hard to lose weight specifically so he could take part, a clear sign of how determined he is to make this happen. In August, Paul and Shaun will head up into the clouds and take the leap. Their aim is to raise funds that help us continue providing support and services to those who need it. Support Their Fundraising If you’d like to back their efforts, you can donate directly to their pages: Donate to Paul https://www.justgiving.com/page/paul-john-1 Donate to Shaun https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/shaunblackburnlza3alu37p Thank you Paul and Shaun!

We are delighted to offer a new P3 session on Tuesdays at 5.30 pm. This is part of our new extended hours programme. This new session will be available from Tuesday 28 July. Isobaric Oxygen will also be available at the same time. For further information about the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy that we offer, please visit www.thebrightwell.org.uk/oxygen-therapy. To book an HBOT session, please call 01454 201686 or email hello@thebrightwell.org.uk We look forward to seeing you soon!

After months of exceptional hard work, gardening duo Michael Leech and Gavin Moth opened the Woodstock Homes Multiple Sclerosis Garden in the Pocket Planting section yesterday, and what an opening it was. The garden represents hundreds of hours of design, planning and procurement, and a wonderful collaboration between Michael, Gavin, Woodstock Homes and The Brightwell. It marks the first time an RHS event has been held at Badminton, and the first time Michael and Gavin have worked together on an RHS garden. Yesterday, Wednesday 8 July, was the opening of the RHS Badminton Show. Not only did the garden receive wide praise and admiration, but it was also awarded a Silver medal, a truly incredible achievement. The garden also featured in a BBC Points West news item about the event, which included an interview with Gavin, Michael and our own CEO Doro. People's Choice Award Help us raise awareness of The Brightwell by voting for the Woodstock Homes Multiple Sclerosis Pocket Garden in the RHS People's Choice Award, and ask your family and friends to vote too! Vote here Voting closes at 12 pm on Friday 10 July, so don't delay, get your vote in today! The Badminton show runs until Sunday 12 July, after which the garden will be dismantled and relocated to The Brightwell on Monday 13 July. Everyone involved is incredibly grateful to have been part of this amazing project. #GardeningwithMS #RHSBadminton #WoodstockHomes #TheBrightwell #livingwithMS

The image shows Allan Seeley and his carer, Marie Henderson We are delighted that, after months of restricted access, our Therapy Garden is now fully open! It all started as a simple project back in March 2025: laying and extending the path, which wheelchair users were finding difficult to use. To cut a very long story short, despite numerous attempts and a lot of different tips and options, a “hoggin” surface simply could not be made to suit our needs. After getting several quotes, we found a highly recommended specialist who looked favourably on our project. One condition of his quote was that the existing material would need to be relocated onsite. So when a group of corporate volunteers came in from Lloyds Banking Group at the end of April, part of the plan was to clear an unused but overgrown area at the side of the building to make space for the unwanted path material. Click here to read that blog: Lloyds Banking Group volunteers do an amazing job Last week, on Wednesday 16 June, another group of volunteers came in from Aviva to help prepare the ground for the arrival of our repurposed RHS garden. As it happened, the path contractors also arrived a day earlier than expected. At first, we were a little worried about having both jobs going on at once, but thank goodness they were there. The volunteers were not making as much progress as they had hoped, as they kept hitting huge concrete blocks buried in the ground. Thankfully, the contractors were able to use their heavy lifting equipment to move these slabs, allowing the volunteers to then cut the beds out to the prearranged shape and location. The contractors finished the path off on Thursday and, much to our surprise, flattened off all the discarded hogging in the cleared space too, so we now have a smart new cleared and levelled storage area as a bonus! We would like to say a massive thank you to our three generous sponsors, who made all of this possible: St James's Place, Councillor John Bradbury, and Woodstock Homes and to P Phillips and Sons Ltd for supporting our volunteers and going the extra mile in improving the area to the back of the building. This has been a truly collaborative project, with so many people involved, staff, volunteers, supporters and suppliers all playing their part! We would now like to invite everyone to come and enjoy this wonderful space. Not long now until the RHS pocket garden is relocated here too! We are very fortunate indeed.

We have some wonderful news to share: The Brightwell has been named as a finalist in the BBC Radio Bristol Make a Difference Awards, in the Community Group Award category. We are one of just four finalists, and we are absolutely thrilled. What makes this nomination extra special is the story behind it. We didn’t know a thing about it until BBC Radio Bristol presenter Adam Crowther called me last week to tell me we had made it through to the final four. The first stage of the process, shortlisting, had taken place entirely without our knowledge, judged by a panel who clearly understood what we do and the difference the Centre makes. It was a genuinely lovely surprise. It turned out that the person who nominated us was our own Lara Carnell, our wonderful fundraiser here at The Brightwell. Lara’s connection to us goes back many years: as a child, she came to our summer fairs in Nailsea because her aunt, Nicola George, was a longstanding member, trustee, and supporter of the Centre. Nicola’s condition has progressed over the years, and reduced mobility and transport access mean she is no longer able to come to the Centre for therapy, something that reminds us daily of why extending our reach and making therapies more accessible to those with mobility and transport challenges must remain at the heart of our plans. But Nicola is very much still part of our community, and it was lovely to catch up with her by phone last week. That Lara grew up knowing how much the Centre meant to her aunt, and later chose to work here and nominate us for this award, is a really moving testament to the lasting impact The Brightwell has on the lives of those connected to it. BBC Radio Bristol This weekend, I had the honour of visiting BBC Radio Bristol for a recorded interview and filming with Adam Crowther. I was joined by our member Attia Trott and her husband Andrew, who were our biggest supporters on the day. Attia was, quite simply, outstanding! From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel genuinely welcome. A huge thank you to Adam, Trish and Dean, who looked after us and made us feel at ease, keeping us cool and hydrated despite the heat, which made for a relaxed and enjoyable interview. Attia shared her own story: her experience of being diagnosed and living with MS, and what The Brightwell has meant to her. She spoke candidly about how coming to the Centre has improved her overall wellbeing and helped her to better manage her symptoms, and about the strength she draws not just from the therapies themselves but from the sense of community and belonging that The Brightwell provides. Hearing her speak, I felt incredibly proud of what this place is and what it means to the people who come here. What We Do and Why It Matters During the interview, I was asked to share a particular example of The Brightwell making a significant difference to someone’s life. My mind went immediately to our member, Mel Likeman and her story. Mel still comes to the Centre weekly. But at a pivotal moment in her life, the support she received here was truly life-changing. When her now-husband proposed, there was one thing above everything else that Mel wanted: to walk down the aisle and speak her vows clearly and with purpose. An MS relapse had affected her mobility and caused her speech to become slurred; fatigue meant she couldn’t walk for any meaningful distance. The odds seemed stacked against her. Through her own extraordinary determination, combined with regular oxygen therapy sessions and tailored physiotherapy with our neurotherapy team, Mel was able, on her wedding day, to walk down the aisle supported by her father, and to say her vows clearly and confidently. It was, by every account, a deeply emotional and joyful day, for all the right reasons. Stories like Mel’s are at the heart of why The Brightwell exists. For over 40 years, we have been helping people living with neurological conditions to take back some control, offering specialist therapies in a warm, friendly, fully accessible and non-clinical environment. Simply. We are a community, one built on kindness, determination, and the belief that everyone deserves access to the support they need to live well. What Happens Next The final decision on which of the four finalists wins rests with a mystery celebrity judge. A short film has been made as part of the process, and we’ll share more about that when we can. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Playhouse Theatre in Weston-super-Mare in September. In the meantime, all we can do is keep doing what we do, and hope that whoever makes the final decision can truly see how vital The Brightwell is, and what a difference it makes to so many Fingers firmly crossed!! To find out more about The Brightwell, our therapies, and how to become a member or supporter, visit www.thebrightwell.org.uk or call us on 01454 201686.

The AVIVA team with our Brightwell CEO, Doro. We were delighted to welcome a new group of Corporate Volunteers on 17 June from AVIVA, based in Stoke Gifford. This was the first time the team of volunteers had come to help at The Brightwell, and we were very impressed with everything they achieved! They were also assisted on the day by our own brilliant Brightwell Garden volunteers, Jen and Dave, who also did a tremendous job. The team did fantastic work digging out new plant borders for our forthcoming RHS planting as well as digging out space for a new ornamental tree. They worked like absolute stars, and we couldn’t be more pleased! It was hard work – the ground was tough and extremely rocky, and on such a humid and drizzly day it was a real challenge. The team were also very grateful for some extra help from the lovely chaps from P Phillips & Sons, who lent a hand with their diggers whilst also working on the Brightwell garden path! The team were really interested to learn about everything we do here at The Brightwell, and they also enjoyed a light lunch from the Brightwell Café. It was a joy to welcome this group to the Centre, and we are truly very grateful for all their efforts. We look forward to having them back soon! Before the dig After the work