South West MS Centre Newsletter |
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May 2024 Read about our news and latest updates |
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Pop along to our summer fete this Saturday, 11 May from 11am to 3pm! There will be a barbeque, cake stall, raffle, toy tombola, Lush lucky dip, books, bric-a-brac, plants, candy floss, face painter/glitter tattoos, music from the Heavitree Strummers, and places to sit and enjoy the atmosphere in the garden. Donations of plants, cake, books or raffle prizes can be brought along a few days before or at the event, thank you! We will also have a lovely range of local craftspeople selling their creations, such as Dawn Gill Designs bespoke silver jewellery, Lorraine Coram Glass, Debbie from the Joy of Clay pottery, Exmouth Art Group, PIC Jewellery, Sue's Macramé Creations, Karen's Crochet & Knits and a few other new faces. We are reserving our car park for Blue Badge holders. On-street parking is restricted to residents only due to an Exeter Chief's home match. Please use Tesco's car park (maximum stay 3 hours), or check out our website for info on local bus and trains. |
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Mega Fundraising Activities |
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She only went and did it! Our Lucy finished the gruelling 26.2 miles in the London Marathon on Sunday 21 April, raising over £4,168 for us (and this figure is still growing!). Here is her story in her own words: "Dear all, just WOW! It was perfect conditions - a light wind, sun and mostly cloud cover. Cold enough to wear my trusted training top under my race vest which felt very reassuring! My support crew had dotted themselves perfectly with top ups of snacks, amazing signs and lots of shouting and cheering. The crowd was INCREDIBLE - so loud that I couldn't help smiling most of the way around. I managed to keep my pace really consistent and ended up finishing in 6.03 (gave a little away to grab a selfie with Romesh Ranganathan and grab hugs with my support crew which was totally worth it!) I'm feeling good today - no blisters, no rubs, achy legs but not too bad as long as I don't sit down for too long! Our total is now at £3630.00!!! Can you believe it!! I've made my last Facebook post and so think is near our final total now but wow, how amazing and just THANK YOU! With warmest love, Lucy x x x" We are sure you will join us in saying the hugest thank you to Lucy and to everyone who sponsored and supported her - what an amazing star you are! Thank you from EVERYONE at the Centre! xx |
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| | Swimming the English Channel Fellow MS-er and personal fitness coach, Nye Levett, has started his intensive training regime to enable him to swim the English Channel in support of the SW MS Centre in September this year. He has already raised over £5,660 and is keen to reach £8,600 to help us buy some more gym equipment. He has secured some corporate sponsorship as well as a signed Exeter Chiefs Rugby shirt which will be going to auction very soon! If you are able to sponsor Nye to help him reach his target, please visit his fundraising page below or use our sponsorship form at Reception. | | |
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| | Tristan's 100 Push-Ups a Day Our Trustee, Tristan, is still doing 100 press-ups on every day of 2024 (and it's a leap year so he's had one extra!) to raise money for us - if you can spare an pound or two, please give him a boost to get through May! He's managed to raise almost £1,500 so far - imagine what he could do by the end of the year! | | |
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Our 2025 Calendar Photo Competition is now open for entries! With the theme being "British Flora and Fauna", send us your photos (max 2 per person) showing Britain's finest wildlife and plants at their best. Winning entries will feature in our charity calendar for 2025. Please follow the guidelines below, and good luck! Here’s the easy-to-follow process: • Your photos must be of anything related to this year’s theme: “BRITISH FLORA & FAUNA” • Photos can be from anywhere in the UK • Photos must be YOUR OWN work in digital format (not printed) • You may submit a maximum of 2 photos • Photos must not include any recognisable human faces • Photos must be of a high resolution (minimum 1MP) • Photos should preferably be landscape orientation. If not, they will be cropped if selected for the final calendar • By submitting your photos into the competition, you give consent for the Centre to use them (a) in the selection process and (b) in the final calendar (you will be credited in the calendar) • Submit your digital photos to admin@southwestmscentre.co.uk by 30 JUNE 2024 • Competition is open to all Members, staff, volunteers, therapists, tenants, & friends & supporters of the Centre • All entries must be submitted by 30 JUNE 2024 • Entries will be shortlisted to 25 photos • You will be able to vote for your top 2 photos from the shortlist from 4 - 25 JULY 2024 • Winning entries will be announced in early August and calendars will be available to purchase from end of August |
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Exeter Volunteers' Fayre We had a good few hours at the Volunteers' Fayre in March and received some interest from a few people who have since joined the Oxygen team! Welcome to Darren, John and Terry, and also to Nigel who joined us recently too. We also would like to welcome Sarah and Tricia who are helping with the exercise classes and open gym sessions. Thank you all for your time and helping hands. |
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South West Business Expo, 18 April at Westpoint Arena Sadly this was postponed in April, and we are awaiting a new date so that we can share our work with the business community. |
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Keeping in Touch If you are a member of the Centre, please keep us up to date with any changes to your contact details, so that we can get in touch with you at short notice if necessary - admin@southwestmscentre.co.uk - thank you |
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MS News MS 'FACETS' Course - Managing Your Fatigue As we mentioned last month, we have secured funding for two rounds of the popular MS Society course on managing fatigue in MS, delivered in-person at the MS Centre by neuro-physiotherapist Rachel Dennett. The FACETS course, 'Fatigue: Applying Cognitive behavioural and Energy effectiveness Techniques to life Style', is based on a programme developed by researchers at Bournemouth University and the Dorset MS Service at Poole Hospital and was popular with our members who attended it last year. The next FACETS course starts on 3 June - please see the poster below for more details. If you're interested in joining the course, please contact admin@southwestmscentre.co.uk. |
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Centre Closures - May Bank Holidays Just a reminder that we will be closed for the Whitsun Bank Holiday on 27 May. |
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Neurological Physiotherapy |
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At the MS Centre we offer physiotherapy for anyone living with a neurological condition. We know that people living with any neurological condition may have challenges with their physical functions including mobility, muscle strength, range of movement and balance. Our physiotherapists will complete comprehensive assessments which then allows them to provide advice and treatment which is specific to your needs in line with your goals. We currently have physiotherapy clinics running on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with Maxine Dean and Ali Bulger. If you have any further questions or would like to get booked in with one of our physiotherapists please contact Reception on 01392 447411. | | |
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NEW! NEURO-PILATES CLASSES |
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Come along to our new Neurological Pilates class, a welcoming space designed to strengthen your core, enhance your flexibility, and improve overall well-being through a series of gentle and effective exercises. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to deepen your practice, Ali’s class is crafted to cater to all abilities and conditions. You can expect to be guided through foundational Pilates exercises such as Bridges, Push-ups, and the Superman, along with soothing stretches like the Swan, and Hip twist. Each session is thoughtfully structured to allow for both modifications and progressions, ensuring that you feel both challenged and supported. Ali will provide personalised attention to each participant, helping you to adjust the exercises to suit your individual needs and pace. This approach is aimed at helping you to gain the most from each class, progressing steadily towards better core strength, movement and mobility. Tuesdays at 12.45pm, £10 for members. Please get in touch to book as spaces are limited. |
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Friday Exercise Class - Availability |
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We have some availability on Fridays for members to join the group physio sessions, supported by one of our physiotherapists and a volunteer. Just £10 a session, please book with Reception. |
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Fundraising Events & Activities |
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Don't forget to join us at our summer fete, Saturday 11 May, 11am - 3pm! |
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Easter Lucky Squares Thanks to everyone who joined in the Lucky Squares Easter draw to win an Easter Egg - we raised £246 for the Centre. Thanks too to Val and Ken for the lovely knitted chicks with a surprise inside! As usual, these little treats sold out quickly! |
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Live Music & Food - A Great Night Out - Friday 11 October 6.30pm |
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Tickets are on sale now from Reception for the 'Two Bands and a Buffet' event at Topsham Rugby Club, just £20 to include gig entry and a lovely buffet. There will be a raffle and two local live bands (Chasing Zeros and No Ordinary Fish), all to raise funds for the SW MS Centre. Please specify any dietary requirements when booking. |
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Big Gains for Little Efforts |
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We looked after the Barnfield Charity Car Park on Saturday 27 April, and it was our busiest yet, probably helped by an Exeter City Football Club home match that day! We received a whopping £474 for the MS Centre! We have two more dates booked this year and two for 2025, so if you'd like to help us out with a 2-hour shift please do get in touch, as we couldn't achieve this without our wonderful volunteers. Big thanks this time go to Pete, Ardene, Maggie, Ken and Emma - a real team effort! |
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Dates for Your Diary 2024 Summer Fete - Saturday 11 May 11am - 3pm in the garden. Free entry Quiz Night & Food - Friday 5 July from 6pm in the Centre - tickets will be available from mid-May Golf Day 2024 - Thursday 5 September at Teignmouth Golf Course - donations of prizes and hole sponsorship welcomed Two Bands & a Buffet - Friday 11 October from 6.30pm - charity music gig at Topsham RFC. Tickets available now from Reception!
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Golf Day 2024 - Thursday 5 September 2024 |
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This is our biggest fundraising event of the year, and we couldn't achieve this without the help of our members, supporters, therapists and friends. Ways to support the event: Auction Prize Sponsorship - pledge an amount which will allow us to buy a luxury auction prize, and your company's name will be displayed in the event day auction brochure and publicity Hole Sponsorship - in return for £80, we will put a banner on a hole of your choice displaying your logo/name, so that all the players will see who has contributed to the success of the event. You will also be acknowledged in the event brochure and publicity Raffle Prize donation - in July/August we will be requesting small items to go towards lovely raffle hampers, if you would like to support us in a smaller way. The raffle is popular and a big earner at the event! Enter a team of 4 - teams of 4 players can join for £320 (£80 each), in return you will receive a full English breakfast, a round of golf on the beautiful Teignmouth Golf Course with opportunities to win prizes and cash (as well as complementary pasties, sausage rolls and water to keep you going), followed by a delightful 2-course meal and charity auction in the evening. It's a fun day out and a great opportunity to dust off your clubs!
If you can help, please get in touch with Caroline W at the Centre or email carolinew@southwestmscentre.co.uk - thank you! |
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Follow, Like, Share! Please follow us on our social media accounts (if you have them), then 'like' (or 'love') our posts and share with your friends and contacts, to help us spread the word about all the lovely things we do here at the Centre. |
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| | We use Facebook to engage with our local audience and community, and we also include important service messages and updates. It's busy but interesting! | | |
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| | Instagram is a great place to share photos and videos of the work we do and the beauty of our environment. | | |
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| | LinkedIn is a business-to-business platform and helps us to engage with local and national companies who may support us or share knowledge. It's also great for building networks of contacts. | | |
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| | 'X' (formerly Twitter) is a quick-fire and brief way of letting people know what the latest is and we repeat some of our Facebook news here. | | |
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Other news, info and offers |
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Promote Your Business on our Advertising Board |
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For just £5 for 6 months, we can display your poster on our Local Services noticeboard in Reception. Please let us know if you're interested and we will make sure we have space available. |
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We are working with Exeter disability equipment supplier Lindsey & Sons to produce a batch of our new Centre leaflets, who have kindly sponsored the first 500. Find out more about how they can help with your mobility needs, from ferrules to frames, wheelchairs and refurbished equipment, and much, much more. 294 Pinhoe Road, Exeter EX4 8AA Telephone: 0800 015 1014 Email: exeter@bridgeandlindsey.com | | |
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Our friendly local PCSOs will be in the MS Centre holding drop-in sessions for anyone in the community who would like to chat to them about any policing-related issues or concerns, on : Monday 20th May 10am-12pm |
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The UK MS Register Needs You! The UK MS Register is a unique research project that allows people with MS to add their own experiences and medical information to research. The aim of the project is to increase our understanding of living with MS in the UK. How do I get involved? Anyone over 18 in the UK with a confirmed MS diagnosis can register online. Once registered you can opt to track your condition over time. You will be contacted and asked to log in every six months to answer regular questionnaires about you and your life with MS. They work with selected NHS hospitals around the UK. If you are under the care of one of these, you can also contribute by consenting to have your medical records securely linked to the Register. They encourage people to do this wherever possible to because it provides the richest data about what it’s like to live with MS. What happens to all this data? Data is held securely by Swansea University (where the UK MS Register team is based). Their team of researchers study many different aspects of MS, for example the impact of diet, differences in the age of onset, effects of smoking on MS, and more. They also collaborate with MS researchers across the world. Research is anonymous, so participants are never identifiable by their data. Read more about their research by visiting their ‘News’ pages. They are always keen to recruit new people on to the Register - so if you or someone you know has MS and isn’t already signed up, then please visit the website for more information. |
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If you have any questions, ideas for fundraising or would like to enquire about any of our services, please do get in touch, we would love to hear from you. The new coffee machine is very popular and is serving some rather delicious hot drinks! | | |
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