The Neuro Therapy Centre was delighted to welcome Stephanie Catherall, The High Sheriff of Clwyd, to the Centre last week (Friday 28^th June) to carry out the official opening of the Centre’s refurbishment and launch of its new website and fundraising challenge.

Guests in attendance included political figures and the Centre’s partners from across the region in which the Centre works – North Wales, Cheshire and the Wirral. Lord Barry Jones and Lady Janet also attended the celebration.

The Neuro Therapy Centre provides practical support and therapies to manage the symptoms of MS, Parkinsons and other neurological conditions and supports over 500 people. The Centre was established in 1985 to support people with MS and has expanded over the years in terms of the number of services it offers and the number of people it supports.

“Over the years the demand on our services and therapies has grown significantly,” said Jane Johnston-Cree, Centre Director. “We started off in just one section of our current building with an oxygen chamber and a small physio service and we have gradually developed and expanded our services and the number of people we support by utilizing the full building. Demand for our services is continually high and we have always made it our aim to support as many people with neurological conditions as possible.”

With no further space to expand into, the Centre turned to re-modelling its internal space to increase its physiotherapy treatment area and develop a larger gym. As part of the work a dedicated counselling room was also created.

The new physiotherapy suite has a number of treatment beds and specialized equipment to improve balance and movement and the new gym boasts an increased level of equipment including a new exercise bike, water rowing machine, boxing equipment, and a Nordic cross trainer. There is also some new group gaming software which enables people to take part in group cycling therapy.

The Centre’s new developments were funded through support from Sport Wales, The Williams Family Foundation, Ursula Keyes Trust and MediCash and made possible thanks to funding received from people leaving money to the Centre in their Wills.

As part of the celebration the Centre’s new modernized website was launched. “Our new website will make online fundraising much easier for the Centre,” said Jane Johnston-Cree. “As well as promoting our services it provides useful information to those who need it most. Our new website, brings to the forefront our ethos that ‘we believe in a future after diagnosis’ – something that has always been at the heart of our work.”

Throughout July the Centre is running a new fundraising challenge, the NT Challenge, and the launch event marked the official start of the campaign.

The NT Challenge encourages people to take on a personal challenge during July to reach a goal whilst raising funds for the Neuro Therapy Centre. People have signed up to lose weight during the month, take on sporting challenges such as swimming, rowing and cycling set distances and to organize car boot sales and cake sales. “Anyone can take part,” said Jane Johnston-Cree. “The beauty of this challenge is that people can tailor it to what they want to achieve; whether that is something they want to do more of or something they are trying to give up – it’s great to hear everyone’s ideas. We’ve set ourselves an ambitious target of £20,000, so we need as many people to get involved as possible.”

All the funds raised during the challenge will support people living with neurological conditions in the region to receive the life-changing physiotherapy and support offered at the Centre.

The High Sheriff of Clwyd, Stephanie Catherall, said: “It has been an honour to attend this event which celebrates so many fantastic developments at the Neuro Therapy Centre, not least the new facilities created with the generosity of those who hold the Centre close to their heart.

“My husband David has Parkinson’s disease and so I know only too well the impact which a neurological condition like this can have on a family. This is why it is a real pleasure for me to see a centre such as this go from strength to strength.

“I know the Neuro Therapy Centre offers a lifeline for its users and their families and it is wonderful to see it has such fantastic support from the many kind fundraisers who have helped make sure there is so much to celebrate at this event. I wish the team here every success with their ‘Neuro Therapy Challenge’, and hope they reach their £20,000 fundraising target as soon as possible.”

During the celebrations the Centre’s choir the Movers n’ Shakers performed and the High Sheriff of Clwyd cut a cake to mark the official launch.