Rotary Club of Easthampstead: Learning about Cerebral Palsy

“AROUND 110,000 people in the UK are living with Cerebral Palsy,” Emma Darlington told Easthampstead Rotarians at their recent Zoom meeting.

Emma, who fundraises for the National Bobath Cerebral Palsy Centre in Watford, explained: “We are a specialist treatment and training centre, and a charity dedicated to supporting children and families living with Cerebral Palsy and similar neurological conditions.”

Cerebral Palsy describes a disability caused by damage to those parts of the brain that control muscles, movement and posture.

“It usually occurs during pregnancy, around the time of birth or within the first three years, and affects around two in every 1,000 live births. It can have multiple causes, but early diagnosis is now possible.”

While there is currently no cure for Cerebral Palsy, the NHS and several Cerebral Palsy charities support children and parents affected.

The Bobath Centre, founded in the 1940s by physiotherapist Berta and Dr Karel Bobath, is based in closeby Hertfordshire, and provides a holistic approach offering physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy tailored to each patient.

In addition to its therapy sessions, the Bobath Centre also provides training for families, teachers and healthcare professionals.

For more on Cerebral Palsy go to www.nhs.uk/conditions/cerebral-palsy

And for the Bobath Centre go to www.bobath.org.uk/about-us/welcome

During the Coronavirus, Easthampstead Rotarians have been funding local Foodbanks, assisting the Covid vaccination programme, providing tablet computers for homeschooling, supporting The Cowshed crisis charity and continuing to meet via Zoom

New members always welcome. For more information, call Brian on 07720 321 526. Check out our website: www.easthampsteadrotary.org or follow us at www.facebook.com/ easthampsteadrotaryclub/