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Hi, my name is Max and I am a Neuro Physiotherapist. I started working at The Brightwell in October of 2022, my two year anniversary will be coming up next month.   Before studying to become a Physiotherapist I worked in Retail Management for over half a decade. However, I found that I wanted to do something that was more aligned with my values. I looked into various options but overall Physiotherapy was the best fit. I was drawn to the holistic approach, looking at people as a whole.   Unfortunately, most of my A-Levels were in humanities; Sociology, History and a Philosophy AS. With my most relevant one being in Psychology. So before applying for Universities I had to do an access course to get my relevant science qualifications. Once I had attained this I began to apply for Universities and chose to study in Bournemouth, Dorset. Here I studied and then went on to graduate after 3 and a half years (due to a skateboarding injury I had to postpone my practical exams, which meant I graduated a bit later than anticipated).   I moved to Bristol in the last year of my studies and worked as a Baker. Usually after graduating, physios will do rotations to explore which area they want to specialise in. However, it was always clear to me that I would work in Neuro and I pursued this upon qualifying.   When I came for my interview I sat in the reception and I observed how everyone interacted with each other. I knew that this was the place that I wanted to work due to how friendly and welcoming everyone was. Community has always been very important to me and I felt that this was one I wanted to be a part of.   I am leaving The Brightwell next month to go traveling. My partner and I are going to Canada and the North East coast of the United States. This will be a big trip for me because I have never been outside of Europe before. As for when I get back, I am currently not sure what I will be doing but as everyone keeps telling me “You’re only young once.”   Max- everyone at The Brightwell wishes you well for your new adventures. A huge “Thank You” from everyone that you have worked with and helped over the past two years. You are an excellent Physiotherapist!

As well as our excellent one to one physio sessions we also offer a wide range of classes and group sessions both at the Centre and via Zoom.   These sessions are suitable for all abilities and one of our Physio Team will be happy to  give you advice about the class which will be most suitable and beneficial for you.   Below are some more details about timings and what is included, sessions may vary  from time to time to suit to needs of the participants.   Monday Group 12pm-1pm Balance & stability focused - Improves mobility and upper and lower limb strength. First half of session - upper limb strengthening Second half of session - standing balance + lower limb strengthening Help reduce fatigue and improve flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. ​ Wednesday 9:30am-10:30am Class Cardiovascular training – muscle endurance and fatigue focused. Moderate intensity aerobic exercises to help reduce fatigue and improve cardiovascular fitness and flexibility. Finishes class with relaxation.  ​ Wednesday 12-12.30pm Seated Zoom Class suitable for  upper limb strengthening Strength & power training with the use of dumbbells to increase blood circulation to release endorphins and develop muscle tone and strength. Helps improve balance to avoid injuries. ​ Wednesday Zoom 12.30-1pm Standing Zoom Class for standing balance + 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.  ​ Thursday Group 10:15am-11:15am Flexibility training & seated leg and trunk stretches to increase range of motion and reduce spasms and fatigue. Use of rehab and other equipment to help with fitness and balance. ​ Friday Neuro Yoga/Pilates 10:30am-11:30am Class Low impact stretches to help increase strength, endurance and flexibility, done in seating, lying and standing. Finish class with relaxation   The contribution towards these classes can be added to your Standing Order or made in advance. Don't forget, you can always stay and have lunch in our excellent Brightwell Café. Many of our members often pre-book their lunch or morning snack with Paula and the Café Team. To find out all about the excellent Neuro Physiotherapy we offer please click here   For further information and to check availability of classes please call Reception on 01454 201686 .

Join us for some Halloween fun with Wednesday Addams and Weird Barbie. When and where 26 Oct 2024, 11:45 – 14:00 The Brightwell , Bradbury House, Wheatfield Dr, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 9DB, UK Join us for a Halloween Party at The Brightwell! With Wednesday Addams and Weird Barbie presented to you by Magical Moon Entertainment.  Join us for music, characters, refreshments and games to celebrate Halloween during the October half term holiday.  IMPORTANT INFORMATION Children will be sat on the floor so please feel free to bring a cushion or two! Doors open 11.45 and show begins at 12. Show will finish at 1.15.  Refreshments available to purhase on the day. We have a limited amount of space at the centre so we kindly ask that only 1 adult attends for every 2 children.  This fundraiser is kindly sponsored by Explore Learning. Explore Learning are a dedicated tuition company supporting children aged 4 – 16 in their maths and English, and are local to Bradley Stoke based at the Willow Brook Centre.  Tickets are non-refundable. Limited Parking is available on site or on-street parking just outside the grounds. Click here to Buy Tickets

A few weeks ago we gave details about  the Wain Homes Severn Valley’s  annual golf day on 19 July. The event at The Kendleshire Golf Club in Coalpit Heath, saw 100 golfers from the construction industry take part and raised an impressive £11,000 for The Brightwell. The photo shows Doro Pasantes, our CEO, joined by Brightwell members and volunteers to receive an £11,000 donation presented by Maisie Boyd from Wain Homes. Victoria Hocquard, Fundraising Manager at The Brightwell, said: “We were blown away by the amount raised by the Wain Homes golf day. The money will be used to continue to provide therapies, friendship, and support to our community of service users. Our fully accessible, purpose-built centre does have significant overheads and only minimal statutory or NHS funding The Brightwell must raise funds every year to keep providing this vital lifeline for so many local people.” “Last year we provided more than 12,000 individual appointments and we are set to provide even more this year. The money raised by the fabulous Wain Homes team will go a long way towards our fundraising target, for which we could not be more grateful. On top of the incredible amount raised, the exposure on the day enabled us to share what we do with an audience of people who we can’t usually reach. This awareness has already allowed us to help new people to get the information, therapy and support that they need.” Wain Homes Severn Valley nominated The Brightwell as its charity of the year for 2024 with the golf day forming a key part in the fundraising calendar. Carl Haley, Managing Director of Wain Homes Severn Valley, said: “The impact of what The Brightwell does for the physical health and mental wellbeing of people in the South West and Severn Valley is immeasurable and as a housebuilder which puts people and communities at the heart of everything we do, we are proud to hand over such a substantial sum to support this worthwhile charity.” A team of volunteers from Wain Homes also spent the day with us helping in our Therapy Garden and supplied lots of beautiful plants too. We hope that this relationship with Wain Homes will continue beyond 2024. Thank you again from everyone at The Brightwell!

When and where 16 Oct 2024, 18:30 – 21:00 The Brightwell, Bradbury House, Wheatfield Dr, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 9DB, UK About The Brightwell Quiz night is back! Doors open at 6.30pm & the quiz starts at 7pm. A fun evening with various rounds including picture and music rounds too! Feel free to come on your own to make new friends, as a couple or with a larger friends/family group. Suitable for all ages from 10+ You are welcome to bring your own drinks (alcoholic or soft drinks) and nibbles to the event. Buy Tickets

Please could I ask you to take 10 minutes of your time to complete our Brightwell Consultation Survey. This survey is going to guide our future strategy and 5-year business plan, so it’s a great time to get your thoughts, ideas and experiences across to us. To access the questionnaire please follow the link here: https://forms.office.com/e/qqAqfEGd7Z Or use this QR code above It would be great to have all responses back by 5pm on Friday 19th September 2024. Thank you for your support.   Best regards, Doro Pasantes CEO of The Brightwell

Earlier this year, we had some great plans and ideas for our fantastic outdoor space here at the Centre. Our accessible outdoor space gives our members, volunteers, and staff a beautiful environment to relax in or take a well-earned break. As with all these projects we could not have done it without the help of our fantastic Corporate Supporters and Brightwell Volunteers. Firstly, Woodstock Homes who consistently support The Brightwell, organised, and paid for some extra parking spaces. Although not glamorous, this was an essential project for us to gain a few much-needed spaces as well as somewhere practical to keep our industrial bins! This area was then landscaped thanks to the volunteers from Zurich, along with some lovely plants they donated to go in the rest of the garden. The plans then continued as Spring became Summer and plans for a new shed was launched. Howards Motor Group, who were one of the first members to join the Brightwell 100 Network, gave us a very generous donation to pay for a new shed, more oxygen equipment and the budget even stretched to buying some additional gardening storage items. Initially, the area for the new shed was cleared by a very productive team from Lloyds Banking Group, who also helped us clear unwanted items from the storage container. Further help came from one of our members, Andrew Hudson, who along with some of his colleagues worked exceptionally hard laying foundations for the new shed, on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year! They did a great job and CRS Building Supplies kindly provided the materials! The other side of the building has not been forgotten and we are delighted to have two new water features offering the calming sound of running water on our terrace. These were funded by another corporate donor, LV, and add to the charm of the outdoor space. We would like to extend an invitation to our Centre Users to enjoy our outdoor space even as the summer comes to a close. We have a dedicated team of volunteers who help look after the gardens and are so grateful for all the care and attention they take in helping the grounds look lovely whatever the season. A big thank you to our Corporate sponsors and Volunteers for helping us create, enhance, and maintain the beautiful grounds at The Brightwell!

We are really delighted to have opened our new Brightwell Shop display area in the main foyer of the Centre! We have been selling pre-loved items for many years, which has always proved popular as a great opportunity to find a bargain in between appointments! Buying pre-loved is a wonderful way of reducing your carbon footprint, through giving items a second chance.  However, the best part of buying at The Brightwell shop is that every penny spent goes directly to the charity.  As well as pre-loved items, our new shop will also be selling new items when they are available too! So, keep an eye out when you visit for gift ideas, clothes, books, and lots more. We would like to thank Adele Haysom of AJH Governance, a Brightwell 100 member, for her generous donation, earlier this year, providing funds for us to buy the new shop display fittings. Each item is reasonably priced and can be paid for at Reception by cash, card or contactless. To keep the new shop fully stocked, and to help in our fundraising, we would love donations of good quality items that you may no longer want or need, or new items that were perhaps an unsuitable gift.  If you have any items that you would like to donate for the shop or as a raffle prize, please hand them in at Reception or the main office or ask for a member of The Fundraising Team. We look forward to you visiting our new shop very soon !!

Everyone at The Brightwell would like to say a massive thank you to PJs track days for fundraising for the centre at their recent track event.   The track day took place on 13th August at Castle Combe Circuit and raised an incredible £1,452.01. Thank you to Paul and everyone who supported this amazing event.

In order to improve the quality and efficiency of our appointments, we have been working on an e-mail and text reminder system. We are now looking for 50 people to join the pilot and test the system to make sure that it is working correctly before we roll it out across all appointments. If you are happy to participate in the pilot, please complete the details on the form below.  Please ensure that your details are entered correctly. By doing this, you are agreeing to receive regular appointment reminders via text and email. If you are an existing member with an appointment booked within the next 30 days, but have not received an email please click on the link below https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Y62DSeUVokWqEK59lZ7E7r8ywFri3EdLtBnSFdnm4Z9UQUdKUzdMVUhYR0FaWTg0MlNKSk5KTkRKUi4u&origin=Invitation&channel=0 Please can you submit this form by the 6  September.  Your support is greatly needed and hugely appreciated.  Thank you very much for taking part in this important pilot scheme.  If you have any queries, please give me a call. Best wishes, Doro

Please see above the updated Oxygen Therapy Timetable with effect from 30 August 2024. For further information please visit the Oxygen Therapy page of our website. Call 01454 201686 to find out more or to book an appointment.

Check out our August 2024 Newsletter packed full of interesting articles, all the latest news from The Brightwell, events and much more....