Christmas Closing and Opening

BMSTC will be closing for Christmas at 3.00pm on Friday 21st December and re-open at 9.00am on Wedesday 2nd January 2013. 

Limited oxygen will be available during the week we are closed.  Please call 0118 901 6000 for further details.

Best wishes to all our supporters, members and volunteers from the BMSTC team for a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful and Healthy New Year! :0)x

BMSTC Christmas Party thanks!

Thank you to everyone who came along to the BMSTC Christmas Party last Friday.

We had a lovely afternoon with great company, food and wonderful entertainment from the Clarinets from Trinity Concert Band and of course Carols from Wilson Road Primary School!

Evidence for Sativex reviewed

Source MS Trust:

Sativex is a cannabis-based medicine which was licensed in June 2010 as a treatment for spasticity in MS. A review in the December 2012 issue of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) has suggested there is not enough evidence to support the use of Sativex routinely in treating spasticity in MS.  Read more here!

BMSTC Christmas present!

One of our volunteers walked in last weekwith a cheque for BMSTC from his son for £10,000!

What a fantastic Christmas present for the Centre, we were all speechless!! :0)))

Pregnancy and MS

Source MS Society:

Cat's blog appears in December edition of MS Society's Northern Ireland's newsletter.
With less than five days to go until my baby was due to be born, you would think I would be finding better things to do than filming for the MS Society.  Read more here!

Multiple sclerosis: World's highest rate in Orkney Islands

Source BBC:

Scotland's Orkney Islands have the highest rate of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the world, according to a major new study.

Researchers said that the rate for probable or definite MS was now 402 per 100,000 people, up from a previous 309 per 100,000 which was recorded in 1974.  For more click here.

Chief Executive Simon Gillespie to join British Heart Foundation

Source MS Society:

Farewll to Simon Gillespie, CEO of MS Society to join British Heart Foundation.  Read more here.

BMSTC Christmas Party - Friday 14th December!

Don't forget the BMSTC Christmas Party is on Friday 14th December from 1.00 to 3.00 pm here at the Centre!

Entertainment from Wilson Primary School who will sing some festive Carols and also the Clarinet Group from Trinity Concert Band.

Light buffet and refreshments will be served but please do bring a bottle! 

No need to RSVP - everyone welcome!

Junior Physio wanted at BMSTC!

We are looking for a Junior Physio to cover whilst Henriette is off on maternity leave!

9 months fixed term contract, 31 hours per week, Monday to Friday with some flexibility. 

For more information and application form see our website here. 

Any enquiries please contact ruth@bmstc.org or call 0118 901 6000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0118 901 6000 end_of_the_skype_highlighting .

Please feel free to share this post with anyone you think who may be interested!

Expert Patient Programme - FREE Courses

Expert Patient Programme - FREE course to help you learn to manage life with your conidtion in partnership with your health professional.
 
Next local courses 10th Jan to 21st Feb 10am to 1pm Chalfont Surgery (Brookside) Lower Earley Reading or 11th Jan - 22nd Feb 10am to 1pm Christ Church Woodley, Reading. 

9th Jan to 20th Feb Wokingham Methodist Church, Wokingham and  7thJan to 18th Feb Cornerstone at Wokingham.

Call 0800 988 5560 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0800 988 5560 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email get.info@eppcic.co.uk for more information.
or visit their website here.

Rough guide Accessible Britain

The fourth edition of the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain is now available to view for free via the Zinio online reader . It’s packed with over 200 inspiring ideas for fantastic worry-free days out with reviews, hints and tips on some of the UK’s best attractions written by and for disabled people.

Read more here.

Hannah Trunk's Stella & Dot event!

If anyone would like to order online here is the link, the M.S centre's party will be open until the 17th December so plenty of time to make a wish list, pass it on to friends and family http://www.stelladot.co.uk/ts/7fvjn1

What support is most helpful to people with MS at work?

Source MS Trust:

A recently published review of the literature has highlighted ways that people with MS can be supported at work most effectively.  Read more here.

Factsheets - Disability Rights UK

Interesting information on various benefits, tax credits, social care and other related issues for claimants and advisers. Particular interest is the changes to DLA and the introduction of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from April 2013.  Read more here!

Last day for Reading Post Tokens!

Wednesday 5th December will be the last day you can collect the Wish Tokens from the Reading Evening Post to help BMSTC win a share of their community pot of money!

Stem cells being made from blood

Source BBC:

A patient's own blood has been used to make personalised stem cells, which doctors hope will eventually be used to treat a range of diseases.

The team at the University of Cambridge says this could be one of the easiest and safest sources of stem cells.  Read more here.

Useful website!

Aid4Disabled is here to offer you, as a disabled person, your family, carers and your friends, valuable advice, information, independence and, we hope, as a result, a better quality of life.  For more click here!

Positivity is key to dealing with MS

Source The Weston Mecury.

YOU either adapt or you go under’, says one multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferer who believes positivity is the key to living with the disease.  Read more here!

Christmas Fayre Success!

The Link Group's very successful Christmas Fayre took place on Saturday. Reading West MP, Alok Sharma, cut the ribbon and declared the event open, alongside committee members Glynis Wilks, Penny Russell, Sue Smith and Sheila Booth.                                                    
The Fayre raised £1,755.91 for the Centre, and we would like to thank everyone who worked to hard to make it a success.