The Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire MS Therapy Centre
Registered Charity No: 802510 – Bradbury House, 155 Barkers Lane, Bedford, MK41 9RX
Contact us by email or phone; 01234 325781
We are a charity that provides a wide range of support and therapies to people living with MS
Therapies
Our therapies include: neuro physiotherapy, hydrotherapy & APS pain relief.
Our MS Specialist Nurse can help with all aspects of your MS. We offer a number of complementary therapies such as reflexology, pilates, Bowen and oxygen therapy.
About Us
Our charity, set up in 1983, provides therapies, services and support needed to enable people living with Multiple Sclerosis to self-manage their condition.
If you have MS, please come and see us – there is something here for you.
Read more on our About Us page.
Read about how we are now increasing therapies and facilities
We will still take care of your safety as we introduce more therapies in the next few weeks
Masks and tests
We will still ask all members and therapists to wear a mask when in the Centre. Staff will take lateral flow tests at least once per week.
If you are exempt from wearing a mask please bring a letter from your GP stating this. You will be asked to take a lateral flow test and bring the completed test with you to your appointment, and wear a visor if possible.
Physio
Great news – new physio, Katie, will start working one day a week from the beginning of June. This will increase the number of physio sessions available. Linda will be offering gym and hydro sessions as well.
Oxygen
We are increasing the number of people in the tanks to 3 in the large tank and 2 in the small tank. This still allows distancing and will enable us to provide sufficient sessions so that people can access oxygen as well as a physical therapy.
Complementary therapies
Shiatsu and Bowen are up and running, reflexology is available if enough people would like it. If you would like one of these therapies, please get in touch so that we can set up the appointments.
MS nurse appointments
You can now see Emma face to face on Thursdays as well as by phone or video link – please make an appointment by calling the Centre – 01234 325781
APS and the Gym
There are plenty of slots available for APS or the gym – just call to book yourself in.
Peer Support
With the summer coming, we will have some tables outside where you can chat with other members when you come in for therapy. There will be no service from the kitchen so please bring your own drinks (and take away your rubbish please!). This will only be available outside, so please wrap up warm and think about rain!
We will arrange some specific sessions just for meeting up with people for those who are not coming for therapy.
Appointments
Call or email us to book an appointment on 01234 325781or reception@mscentrebedsandnorthants.com
Take a peek at our May newsletter
Read all about the lockdown easing plus our latest news and events, including;
- We’re restarting physio, gym and hydro sessions. Also increasing the number of people in the oxygen tanks
-
Shiatsu and Bowen are up and running, reflexology is available if enough people would like it
-
MS nurse appointments – You can now see Emma face to face on Thursdays as well as by phone or video link
- 100 Club winners
And much more…
Book an appointment with Emma, our MS nurse
Emma can now offer appointments via phone, face to face or video on Thursdays.
Call or email us to book an appointment: Phone 01234 325781 or email Emma.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition that affects around 107,000 people across the UK.
Many of our members have been telling us how they have really benefited from the support we have been able to provide during the lockdowns. Colin says “I cannot really find the right words to express how grateful I am for what the Centre does for me and what it means to me. After 10 weeks of self-isolating I rapidly went downhill.
Returning to the Centre for one-to-one physio is helping me get back to where I was physically a few months before. This helps me to live independently, as I live alone.
The staff always welcome me with a smile, and we have a bit of a laugh together which really gives me a lift.”
Contact us on 01234 325781 to find out about all the ways we can help.
Please help us to keep providing therapies in the future…
We have recently been mailing out our new information pack on the easy ways to leave a legacy for the Beds and Northants MS Therapy Centre in your will. Take a look at the flyer and read the full details.
Our charity shops have reopened
We stock a wide range of good quality clothes and accessories for men and women plus crockery, glassware, jigsaws – all sorts!
We are open Monday to Thursday 10am – 2.30pm
Monthly charity sales are restarting
Starts 17th July from 10am to 12noon
Then we’ll be holding a charity sale every third Saturday of the month. Sorry, but we can’t accept donations of bric-a-brac just yet.
Events
Online art journaling course
We all had a great time on the online art journaling course run by Anna Schofield.
We learnt some relaxing techniques, met some lovely people, and set aside time to be creative. Let’s hope that we can run some more classes in real life before too long. If you are interested in art classes, please get in touch by email: frvolunte[email protected]
Come to our Annual General Meeting
Tuesday June 22nd at 2pm
The AGM will be held online via Zoom
We hope that lots of you will join us. All are welcome. Please email Harriet to access the link to the virtual meeting. [email protected]
Online art classes
Join our new ‘Art Journaling for Wellbeing’ course….
This course will offer anyone from beginner to more experienced artists to experiment in paints, pencils and collaging using everyday items around the home to create an art journal.
‘Love to Move’ with MS
New free exercise sessions running on Tuesdays 3 – 4pm.
‘Love To Move’ provides a unique mix of physical movement or exercises with activities designed to stimulate cognitive function and either maintain or develop neural pathways and fine motor skills. It is very gentle and suitable for all. Watch the video to find out more.
The sessions will be free so please let us know if you’d like to take part by calling 01234 325781.
Online seated Pilates classes
Tuesdays & Thursdays at 11.30
Live Facebook classes on Tuesdays. Zoom pilates class on Thursdays. For the Zoom classes, please see this page for joining details. All welcome.
Tai Chi at home
Wednesdays at 11.30
Join our Tai Chi teacher, Jenny, for her popular online live Facebook sessions. Please go over to the video page of our Facebook site to see the videos.
News
Coffee and cake on World MS Day, 30th May
What cake will you bake?
Invite friends and family to join you in the garden for World MS Day on the 30th of May.
Alternatively we can provide homemade cake for your visitors.
Hoping many of you join in. Do let us know by filling-in this form. Thank you for supporting us.
Bedford Park Concerts, 29th July -1st August 2021:
Volunteers needed! We need lots of help at the concerts. Please contact: [email protected]
And please buy your tickets through us as every ticket includes a donation to the Centre.
Phone 01234 325781
Vote online to help us win £1,000 for our charity
Once again, there is the chance for us to win £1,000 by getting everyone we know to vote for us.
Simply follow the link below, type in our charity number 802510 or Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre. And please ask all of your contacts to do the same. Fingers crossed for success this year.
Volunteers’ Week
We are very very very grateful to the many volunteers who help to keep the MS Therapy Centre running.
We are always looking for volunteers. There are all sorts of opportunities, from helping with fundraising events and at the Bedford Park Concerts, to helping to deliver therapies and on our board of Trustees. How would you like to help?
Thank you to Jack and George for raising £2,780 for the MS Therapy Centre
Jack Kenningham and George Ripley have completed their tough challenge and lived to tell the tale…
Jack says, “5k everyday for 30 days…. This challenge seemed near impossible 30 days ago but we’ve finally done it. £2780 raised for the MS Therapy Centre…
MS Buddy Scheme
If you are newly diagnosed and would like to speak to someone in the same situation as you, the Buddy Network from Shift MS could help you to meet someone to chat to.
Just follow the link to the Shift MS website to get started.
Free app to help track the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
SymTrac is a free app that helps people with MS track general wellbeing and symptoms over time. The data recorded can be viewed in easy-to-read charts and shared with MS specialist teams to make the most of vital consultation time and support decision making. Approved as safe by the NHS Library of Health Apps and developed in association with the MS Trust, this app is available on iOS, Android or desktop versions.
Remember us in your will
You can also easily add a codicil to an existing will.
A legacy could make a huge difference by enabling other people to benefit from our centre for years to come.
Our regular members will soon receive a leaflet explaining more.
If you would like to consider leaving a legacy to the Beds and Northants MS Therapy Centre, please visit our special website page with full details, or email [email protected] for more information.
Trustee vacancy
Could you, or anyone you know, act as our Treasurer?
It’s an important and rewarding role to keep an overview of how we are spending our hard-earned donations.
Full details are available on the Reach Volunteering website.
Here are our winners of the April 100 Club for 2020-2021
2nd place: No 56, Angela Hawes £36
1st place: No 11, Pat Graham £60
And if you do spend your winnings at Amazon, please don’t forget to use Amazon Smile and donate to the Centre at no cost to yourselves. That way, we win as well. 
Useful advice about COVID-19 for people with MS
Emma, our MS nurse, has recommended this article full of useful advice about COVID-19 and MS at the MS Trust website.
Counselling
If you are finding it hard to cope at this time, our counsellor, Gill, is available for telephone or email consultations. Please contact the Centre and we will pass on your details. Call us on 01234 325781
MS UK also offers a counselling service by telephone or video link. Register at their website to get started.
See us at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
We are always posting the latest news, events and videos at our social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Keep in touch
- Follow our Facebook page which is updated with useful information throughout the week
- Join our Facebook group, where you can chat with other members
We have over 1000 followers and friends on Facebook so please do come and say hello.
We really need your continued support…
During the COVID-19 crisis we continue to offer support and therapies to hundreds of people across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. We haven’t been able run most of our fund-raising activities like events, our shops, dinners and performances.
We receive no government or other form of statutory funding
It’s only through people like you that we are able to provide vital therapies and support to people with MS.
Please donate £10, £20 or more today
Most people choose to donate by credit card, using PayPal or through our secure card payment partners, JustGiving.
Please visit JustGiving.com/bnms where you can easily make a secure online donation to the MS Therapy Centre.
Now you can donate by PayPal or via credit card.
Thank you
Go shopping online at our eBay shop
Every purchase helps support our charity.
You’ll always find high quality items at bargain prices
Charity Sales
Sorry, postponed until further notice.
Please don’t bring us more bric-a-brac for the time being as we can’t store it. Thank you.
Opening times
We are open for limited therapies by appointment only.
Please call 01234 325781 for appointments.
We can support you over the phone, or online.
Please call 01234 325781 for a nursing appointment or we can help with exercise via our virtual programmes.
GDPR – How we can contact you
If you are a member or supporter of the Centre and would like to let us know how we can contact you, please click the link below and fill out the form, stating your preferences. For more information on GDPR click here.
You can state your contact preferences here.
You can also use this form if you would just like to receive our newsletter.
