Katherine Toomeygave BBC listeners agreat insight into lifeas a young personwith cerebral palsywhen she wasinterviewed for Radio4’s Case Notesprogramme in April.

The programme’spresenter Dr MarkPorter explored how ajoined-up approach totreatment can helpchildren, visiting theBobath Centres in

London and Glasgow as well as speaking to medical experts atGreat Ormond Street Hospital and Bristol Children’s Hospital.

During her therapy session eleven year-old Katherine spoke

articulately of the everyday limitations that get her down, butshe was not going to let it stop her leading an active life. “A lotof the time….I hold it in at school, no one really knows, butinside I am very, very, very jealous of my peers; extremelyjealous of the way they move and I just find movementfascinating, because I have never been able to move freely onmy own - always having to use a piece of kit like a wheelchairor sticks. A lot of them don’t understand; going up the stairsthey think “Oh, you’re in a wheelchair, it must be so much fun.Like, you have no idea!” she said, “I’d rather be getting crushedon those stairs by big year 11’s than sitting in a little lift!”

Liza, her mother also spoke candidly about the dawningrealisation that Katherine was not developing physically, thenwent on to describe how their initial two-week treatmentsession at Bobath was a revelation. “I remember even the veryfirst time we came” she said, “sitting doing sessions withKatherine thinking ‘what’s this all about?’ and within the tendays she grew an inch and this was purely the uncurling andthe reduction of the tightness in her body. When you see thosechanges in your child’s body it’s just extraordinary.”

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E B O B A T H C E N T R E

Issue Eighteen Autumn 2009

The Bobath Centre continues to provideparents, patients and visiting therapistswith a high quality service. This wasthe conclusion of Virginia Knoxfollowing last year’s clinical audit ofthe Centre’s services.

Virginia, a Bobath consultant physio-therapist developed the audit that ranbetween April 2008 and March 2009.She concluded that the appointmentssystem continues to be of a highstandard; the quality of clinical noteshas improved; the current system fordeciding the clinical mix of therapiesfor child patients is effective and thatthere is a high satisfaction rate among

parents of children and visitingtherapists.

A survey of people visiting the Centrealso showed high levels of satisfaction.When asked to judge the Bobath Centreoverall in comparison to other servicesthey had used (not necessarily medical),73% considered the Centre excellentand 24% very good.

Jayne Pearce, director of administrativeservices is happy with the findings. “Iam pleased we have scored so highly,but will be studying the data over thesummer and see where we can improveupon what we do.”

A synopsis of the report will be availableto download from www.bobath.org.uk

Bobath scores high in customersatisfaction and quality of services

BobathNEWS

Katherine the Great

Join the onen400 Challenge See page 2 for details

One of our many satisfied customers!

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One in 400 children born in the UK is affected bycerebral palsy. That’s one in 400 children who maystruggle through life or one in 400 children who, withthe right support, could grow up to reach their fullpotential.

We would like our supporters to join us in a new fundraisinginitiative – the Bobath Centre’s onen400 challenge.

We want you to raise £1,400 for the charity. This may seema lot, but there’s no time limit – you can just do it at thepace that suits you. So, if you are a runner you could runa marathon and do it in one go or you can take it slowlyand do smaller activities over a longer period.

The point is that you will be actively supporting childrenwho have cerebral palsy offering them the bestopportunity to lead independent and fulfilling lives.

In return can give you all the support and encouragementyou need to succeed. We won’t pester to raise the money;just help you on your way with things like:

• Publicity materials: Logos, photos, case studies, factsand figures etc. Everything you need to back up yourfundraising.

• Fundraising goods: T-shirts, collection tins, badges,balloons etc.

• Ideas: Stuck for an idea? – We have hundreds.• Guaranteed places: We have guaranteed places in many

of running events around the country, including theVirgin London Marathon 2010.

• Advice: Want to know the best way to get free publicityyour event? We can point you in the right direction.

• Legal: It can be a minefield – but we’ve got the map.• You’re not alone: a forum to talk to other fundraisers

and share ideas.• We will keep records of all the money you raise and

make the gift aid claim, which we will add to yourtotal.

Once we receive your onen400 challenge registration form*we will send you a` onen400 fundraising pack. Thiscontains some great ideas to get started as well as tips onhow to publicise your fundraising and essentials like asponsorship form. *available to download from the Bobath website or by contacting theFundraising office.Roll of honour

A D V E R T I S M E N T

Anthony PearsonColin EntwistleDarren Fallon

Matt SmithPete SmithRobert SavilleRolant JonesStephen Hencher

Gareth HealJenny MulhollandLaura JosephMarcus RoachMark Mitchell

Contact usEditor - Kevin Gillespie 020 8442 2276Assistant editor - Sarah TerrazasEditorial and advertising enquiries: 020 8442 2276 or email: kevin@bobathlondon.co.uk250 East End Road, London N2 8AU 020 8444 3355Bobath Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy, Registered charity 229663Bobath Centre for Adults with Neurological Disability, Registered charity 1039162 ©The Bobath Centre 2009

A voice for parentsJane Turville takes up her role as a trustee of the children’scharity, replacing Helen Yarrow who stepped down earlier thisyear. Jane’s daughter was a child patient at Bobath and so iswell aware of the issues and concerns facing parents.

New therapistsLynzi Crisp and Mary Bishopare two recent additions to theBobath therapy team.

Lynzi, a speech & languagetherapist, came to Londonfrom South Africa in 2003.She has worked as a locumtherapist at the LewishamChildren and Young People’sCentre in south London.

Mary joined as a physiotherapist in the Adults’ Centre inSeptember. She has previously worked in Oxfordshire in theintermediate community care team, the Oxford Centre forEnablement and the Radcliffe Infirmary.

FacebookWe are pleased to add Facebook as a way supporters can keepup to date with the charity. The social networking website isincreasingly being used by charities to communicate withsupporters and raise awareness of their cause and it is alreadyproving a valuable addition to the Bobath Centre.

Kevin Gillespie, the Bobath Centre’s fundraising & develop-ment manager is pleased with progress. “It took me a while toget to grips with it all, but now it’s really exciting to see our fannumbers increase. It’s also good to see supporters respond toour posts almost instantly.”

The site contains up to the minute news, photos, video clipsand links to related sites. You can find us by searching forBobath Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy and then register as a fan.

EnewsFor those of you who prefer an environ-mentally friendly way of enjoying BobathNews, we now have an ebook version onour website. You don’t need any specialsoftware, just visit the newsletters page,click on Bobath News and you can flipthrough the pages at your leisure!

Visit www.bobath.org.uk to join ourmailing list and receive Bobath News online.

Patients databaseThe final stages of the database implementation began in Julywhen the patients module went live. The database will make iteasier for the appointments team to log and track patients’records and allow therapists to add reports and shareknowledge with the child’s local health professionals.

Diana Joannides said “There’s a lot of work still to do but aftertwo years we are moving forward with confidence. Once theadmin staff and therapists are comfortable using the newsystem it will be a major improvement.”

The final part of the jigsaw will drop into place in Octoberwhen data from the adults’ centre is transferred.

Grants available: Caudwell ChildrenCaudwell Children has supported children with over 100different conditions and made over 2,000 donations to familieswith disabled children since it was established in 2000. It is thesecond largest voluntary provider of specialist equipment inthe UK and will also fund therapy. Applications must be madeon behalf of children under 18 years living in the UK.

For more information email charity@caudwellchildren.comor call 0845 300 1348. www.caudwellchildren.com

Swine Flu updateThe Bobath Centre has so far been unaffected by the currentswine flu pandemic. Children with cerebral palsy are partic-ularly susceptible to infection, and the Centre already has highhealth and hygiene standards. These were increased over thesummer, with additional cleaning and reminder notices postedaround the building. Information sheets are given to familieson arrival and staff are directed not to come to work if theysuspect that they are ill. We will continue to monitor thesituation throughout the winter.

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For one so young, Katherine gave a remarkably matureassessment of herself. “When I was little we used to comedown to Bobath and that really used to help. I never reallyunderstood when I was small what it did to my body and howit was helping me because it was all through play. As you getolder you suddenly realise you can’t just hide it so much soyou have to learn how to cope with being disabled.”

If you didn’t listen to the programme it can still bedownloaded from the BBC website by going towww.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00k3zzj

New therapistsLynzi and Mary

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Katherine the Great Continued from Page 1

The Bobath Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy does not directly endorse orrecommend products or services advertised in Bobath News. We recommend that youspeak to your Bobath therapist before purchasing a therapy-related product or service.

The rain held off long enough for 60 golfers toenjoy the annual Videx Golf Day in Augustraising £8,700 for the charity.

Old Ford Manor Golf Club in Hertfordshireagain played host as players took part in a groupcompetition in the morning followed by a singlesgame of 18 holes. The day was rounded off withdinner followed by an auction that included aweek in a luxury villa in the south of France,and dinner at a Gordon Ramsey restaurant.

Danial Rickard, Videx employee and a volunteerat the Bobath Centre, was full of praise for thosewho attended. “Given the current financialclimate, I was especially touched by thegenerosity of the guests this year” he said.“Many of them have been coming to the golfday for years, and it’s really nice to see theircontinuing dedication to the charity.”

Thank you to Videx Security Limited and toeveryone who supported the event.

Golf day continues to shine

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Paul Holgate,winner of thesinglescompetition,with histrophy

Paul drives down the fairway Paul Kinsella, who knows a bit about driving, swapped his cabfor clubs when he chose to support the Bobath Centre. As aLondon taxi driver, Paul occasionally picks up families from theCentre. So when he became captain of North Middlesex GolfClub he took the opportunity to help out by selecting the Centreas his nominated charity.

On a sunny July day, 60 golfers joined him and his son Mark toplay 18 holes, followed by a buffet and auction. The day was ahuge success raising over £5,700.

This isn’t the first time the club has supported the Centre.“They were the charity of choice two years ago, and I think thatit’s nice to help someone get the support they need” Paul said,“and I’m definitely coming along next year too.”

John Penn, Kevin Gillespie & Paul Kinsella

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When Anna Wilson and her partner David were told that theirnewborn son has cerebral palsy the hospital could only givethem the number of a bereavement counsellor. “It was the bestthey could do” said Anna, “because they just didn’t have theresources to support people through the shock of discoveringthey had a disabled child.”

So she turned to the internet for help. Anna soon realisedhowever, that although there were plenty of websites offeringmedical information, few supported families through the

emotional roller coaster of bringing upa child with cerebral palsy. Seeing a gap, sheset up www.cptalk.com. “It’s not going to fix things” she says, “but may help parents cope with things, sort things,give bits of advice and offer a lot of support.”

Harry visits the Bobath Centre for therapy, but cptalk isindependent. “It belongs” says Anna, “to everyone affected bycerebral palsy. It’s what I needed to help me through the difficulttimes, so I hope other families find it helps them too.”

My name is Anna and my son has cerebral palsy

A D V E R T I S M E N T

Make differencemake a willTo find out how to leave a gift inyour will to the Bobath Centreplease contact Kevin Gillespie on 020 8444 3355.

A U T U M N 2 0 0 9

Mandy Franklin is used to managing complex projects. After acareer in the City and then as PA to the managing director of ahotel chain, she is adept at making things run smoothly andworking under pressure.

That doesn’t mean that the role of the appointments & fundingmanager for the children’s centre doesn’t test her capabilities.“I was recently asked how I organise appointments and, whenI thought about it, came up with over 50 things that caninfluence the booking-in of a child for treatment. Fifty, andthat’s just one child!”

The administration of appointments is crucial to the efficientrunning of the Centre. Once the senior therapy team hasreviewed the case notes and assigned the appropriate clinicalsupport, Mandy is responsible for ensuring that the family’svisit to the Centre goes as smoothly as possible, and that all therelevant medical, clinical and social agencies are kept informed.

During their visit, Mandy may be required to accommodate afamily’s personal needs. For instance, a therapist may request alate morning appointment to allow time for a child’smedication to take effect; or with a child having difficultyfeeding, a lunchtime slot so that their speech & languagetherapist can see the problem first-hand. “With the very young,you also need to work around sleep patterns because a tiredand irritable child does not make for a good patient!” she says.

Often the small things can make a big difference to families. “Ifyou are here for a two-week treatment block you may bestaying in a hotel room far from the comforts of home. Thismust be terribly difficult, particularly with a disabled child andother siblings in tow. So if we can arrange for their Fridayappointments to be early so they can get out of London and ontheir way home before the rush hour, that can make life a littleeasier.”

Part of Mandy’s day is spent on the phone - fielding newenquiries, pursuing funding decisions or chasing referralletters. She also speaks to anxious or distressed parents butsays that her training as a counsellor helps her remain calmand supportive. Occasionally she has to deal with a difficultcaller, but Mandy is not one to be easily swayed. “Everybody istrying to do the best for their child and that’s only natural, butthe Centre has to be fair to everyone and that’s what I try todo.”

Even with Mandy’s best efforts there are occasionally freespaces in the appointments calendar, but she insists there aregood reasons for these. “Children get sick” she says, “andchildren with cerebral palsy are more vulnerable than most. If achild is ill we will reschedule their appointment for a later date,but it’s difficult to fill the two-week block they have left atshort notice. Sometimes it just can’t be helped.”

Mandy also has to take the staff into consideration. Annualleave, report writing, study leave, sickness, meetings andteaching commitments all have to be taken into account, thenthere are the visiting therapists, course participants... the listgoes on.

Yet Mandy remains philosophical and upbeat about her role.“We try to accommodate everybody without compromisingtreatment” she says, “but inevitably we can’t keep everybodyhappy all of the time. Saying that, it doesn’t stop us trying.”

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A therapy session

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Nothing like a quiet stroll

There is nothing like a quiet stroll through Hyde Park on aSunday morning, but if you were there on the first Sunday inSeptember it was neither quiet nor was there much strolling tobe done.

Instead, you would have been surrounded by 17,000 womentaking part in the adidas Women’s 5K Challenge. The BobathCentre entered a team of 38 runners, twenty-three of which werepupils and staff from Highgate Wood School in north London.

The girls, aged between 12 and 15 years, each pledged to raise£50 for the charity, and collected sponsorship, baked cakes andheld yard sales in order to reach their target.

The team has so far raised over £2,250 and donations are stillcoming in. Well done ladies!

Age restrictions applyVolunteers at the Bobath Centre are of all ages. Some are stillat school or heading for university; others may be retired withsome time to spare. None, however, are quite as young as thevolunteers who come to the Centre in late September. That’sbecause the only way we will sign them up is if they areunder one year old.

The Baby Course, or Introduction to Early Assessment andIntervention with Babies and Young Children to give it its fulltitle, relies on a new group of infants each year to support ourtraining programme. The course is designed for physios,occupational and speech therapists as well as medical profes-sionals who work with the very young. It provides them withan introduction to the Bobath Concept and how it can beapplied to preterm infants and children in the first year of life.

It’s a popular course comprising of lectures and video analysis,however it is in the practical demonstrations that our infantvolunteers are indispensable. Only then can students studyfirst-hand the typical movement patterns of a healthy baby andcontrast what they have seen with a child of the same age whohas cerebral palsy.

The teaching team is led by Jean-Pierre Maes and BettyHutchon. JP is one of Bobath’s most experienced practitionersspecialising in neonatal and infant cerebral palsy. Betty is head

of children’s occupational therapy at the Royal Free Hospital,London and lectures in child development at the University ofLondon Medical School. They are supported by Virginia Knoxand Heather Holgate from the Bobath tutors’ team and byvisiting consultants.

The benefits for the course members are obvious, but mums(and the occasional dad) also gain. They learn how their child isdeveloping and what to expect in the coming months, and theparents and children who have cerebral palsy benefit from theclose attention of some of the most skilled and experiencedtherapists in the country.

If you have a child under one year old and live near the Bobath Centre,please contact Kim on 020 8444 3355 about our baby courses.

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Three of our runners before the race

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A small but perfectly formed team ofBobath supporters joined 27,000 otherrunners in the British 10k London Run in July.

Among them was Tracy Swain, who isnanny to four year-old CharlotteHawkes. Tracy has accompaniedCharlotte several times to the BobathCentre for her two-week blocks oftherapy and is full of praise for ourwork.

“It truly is a remarkable place” she said,“Charlotte has made fantastic progressby following the programmes set by theBobath team and I would like to be ableto give something back.”

And give something back she did – sheand the rest of the team have togetherraised over £3,000 for the charity. Thankyou to Tracy and also to Colin Hiscock,Louise Max, Richard Mumford andThomas Booth for their sterling efforts.

Feel inspired by Tracy and the rest of theteam’s run? We have places available for theBritish 10K London Run 2010 on 11th July.Contact Sarah in the fundraising departmentto secure yours.

FantasticFive

East of Ipswich

Three teenagers did their bit for the Bobath Centre this Aprilwhen they cycled from their home town of Ipswich toAmsterdam and back to raise money for the charity.

Joe Cassidy, Luke Kennedy and Lewis Garrard set out fromHeathside School in Ipswich, and rode 400 miles to St Paulus Special School in Amsterdam raising £800 for theirefforts. They chose to support the Bobath Centre becauseJoe’s younger sister is treated here. “I know from personalexperience that the Bobath Centre is a very good andworthwhile cause” said Joe, “there aren’t many people whoknow about it but I hope the ride will raise someawareness.”

Books for BobathEvery year, thirteen year old Eliza Rossfrom Stockton-on-Tees holds afundraising event for charity and thisyear she hosted a signed book auction in

her back garden to support the BobathCentre. Eliza, who has visited the Centrea number of times, invited her friendsand family and laid on a bouncy castle

and a host of other stalls to entertain them.

Everyone had a great time and Elizaraised over £600.

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Tracy with Charlotteon a recent visit to

the Centre

Joe and friends

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ING New York City Marathon 2010

Register your interest nowcontact us for more info

Morocco 2010Mount Toubkal Trek22 – 26 September 2010Minimum sponsorship£2,300 Contact the Bobath Centrefor details

Team Bobath was bigger than ever at this year’s Flora LondonMarathon and, with every one of our 16 runners smashingtheir fundraising target, our team raised over £31,000.

Friends Gareth Heal, Matt Smith, Pete Smith and Mark Mitchellhad a special reason for running this year because Gareth’s sonRhys was treated at the Centre.

Born three months premature, Rhys was diagnosed withcerebral palsy and is also deaf. Following MRI scans his parentswere told that there was only a 50/50 chance that Rhys wouldwalk, but at just two and a half years old he is a determinedlittle man, and with the support of his parents and help fromMarie his therapist, he has made great progress. “With their (the Bobath Centre’s) help we’re tipping the odds in Rhys’favour and we hope that one day he will walk independently”says Gareth.

We would like to thank all of Team Bobath for their hard work.Well done!

If you have your own place in the Virgin London Marathon 2010, orare interested in one of our guaranteed entries, please contact Sarah inthe fundraising department.

Take Comfortand give Joy

Following its successlast year, we will again be offering our CD Comfort & Joyas part of our seasonal fundraising efforts. The albumraised over £3,000 last year and we hope to raise evenmore this Christmas.

Songs include Christmas classics such as Ding! Dong!Merrily on High and In the Bleak Midwinter as well astraditional songs from Ireland, Wales and Eastern Europe.

The CD makes a lovely gift for friends and family orcould even make a nice alternative to Christmas cards.

Flora LondonMarathon

Gareth celebratingwith Rhys and

a friend

Runners Steve Hencher,Anthony Pearson and ColinEntwistle before the start

Take Comfortand give JoyReader offer

only £5.00 plus p&p