Royal visit to Witham

Release Date: 08/06/2011

HRH The Countess of Wessex visited the children’s charity, Brainwave, on Wednesday 8 June at its South East Centre in Witham, Essex.

The Countess, who is Brainwave’s President, came to cut a cake to celebrate the Charity’s fourth birthday. This very special cake, supplied by Marks and Spencers, was decorated by Elizabeth Heath, a physiotherapist at the Centre.

Christine Cryne, Brainwave’s Chief Executive Officer, said ‘We are delighted that our President was able to visit us. Her Royal Highness had the opportunity to see the facilities and to meet some of our families who are on the Brainwave Programme. They were really excited about this. We were also grateful to the Countess for taking the opportunity to thank some of our major supporters, without whom we could not exist’.

Brainwave works with families to deliver home based individual therapies and exercises to help children with disabilities and Developmental Delay reach their full potential. That potential might be anything from a child sitting or walking to feeding themselves or counting. The children on Programme have a range of conditions including brain injury such as Cerebral Palsy, genetic conditions eg Down’s Syndrome, Autism or General Development Delay.

Families are invited to attend an Initial Assessment where the whole family is assessed and a Programme tailor made for that child developed. The parents are then shown how to deliver that Programme, which they undertake at home, returning to the Centre every 4-6 months for it to be adjusted as the child progresses.

The Centre in Witham was set up in 2007 so that families did not have to travel the long distance down to Brainwave’s initial Centre in the South West. Witham was chosen due to the number of families on Programme living in the area. The Centre has currently has 116 families on Programme. Places on the programme are available for children at the South East Centre. For more information see www.brainwave.org.uk ; email: enquiriesse@brainwave.org.uk or phone: 01376 505290.

Contact: Christine Cryne: 07970 096366 Press information: Jane Adkins, Tel: 01935 813114, Mob: 07960698089 or email: jane@aheadforpr.co.uk

Notes to Editors

1. Brainwave’s team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists development therapists and teachers seek to transform the lives of children with disabilities. By working with parents, giving them relevant therapy equipment and teaching them correct handling skills, they are empowered to actively participate in their child’s development.

2. Brainwave’s team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, developmental therapists and teachers seek to transform the lives of children with disabilities. By working with parents, giving them relevant therapy equipment and teaching them correct handling skills, they are empowered to actively participate in their child’s development. 3. Families are invited to the Centre for a two day Initial Assessment where the child is assessed and a Programme designed for the child. On the second day the family are shown how to undertake the exercises, which they then carry out at home, retuning to the Centre every 4-6 months when the exercises are adjusted. 4. Brainwave currently has over 520families on Programme nationally. 5. See the charity’s videos at http://uk.youtube.com/BrainwaveCentre . 6. Brainwave uses mainstream neuroplasticity techniques in its programmes. Most of it therapists NHS trained.