The MS Therapy Centre located in Wheatfield Drive, Bradley Stoke is holding an Open Day this Thursday (28th April) from 9.15am to 2pm. The Centre will be welcoming visitors for tours, information, and talks, as well as providing drinks and cakes. Funds raised from stalls will go towards the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the MS Therapy Centre, as the event is a joint venture involving both organisations. The MS Therapy Centre is situated in Bradbury House on Wheatfield Drive and “provides support to all people with neurological conditions”.
The West of England MS Therapy Centre is a charitable organisation that moved to Bradley Stoke in 2012 in order to serve people in the greater Bristol area through treatments such as physiotherapy, oxygen treatment, acupuncture, reflexology and aromatherapy. It also runs clinics for continence advice, chiropody, employment issues, and benefits as well as a number of social groups. The MS Therapy Centre is holding the Open Day as part of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness week, partly because it aims to draw attention to its services which many people are unaware of. Deputy Manager at the Centre, Sophie Willingale, informed us that the Centre serves “around 300 people, although there are around 1,000 people in the area dealing with MS who we would like to reach.”
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease affecting the central nervous system and comes with “a range of symptoms that differs from person to person”. Sophie told us that people are usually in their 20s and 30s when diagnosed and there are three times as many women diagnosed as men. The MS Therapy Centre also supports people living with other neurological conditions, and the Open Day is for everyone who would like to find out what the Therapy Centre does. The Centre also has opportunities for volunteers; the Open Day itself will be run by members and volunteers, alongside staff who are passionate about their work.
Why don’t these places hold open days when most people aren’t working (on a Sunday, for example)?
In reference to the above comment about being open on weekends – that would be ideal and perhaps one day we’ll be able to. However we do have the Summer Fair Saturday 25th June 11am – 3pm and that will be a great chance to visit the Centre. We’re also happy to do tours any time we’re open (we close at 6.30 on a Monday) and we have an evening social group open to anyone who has a neurological condition once a month in an evening (6-8pm) – the first hour is social with fish and chips and the second hour is a talk and you don’t have to be a member to come along.