Celebrating Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month with a visit to our Friendship Club

We were honoured to recently welcome Mayor Marvin Rees to our Friendship Club on Tuesday 26^th of March, during Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month.

The Friendship Club is a weekly social club for adults with Cerebral Palsy, which is still going strong after 50 years! Around 25 people attend this Club regularly, and it is a vital source of support which combats social exclusion and loneliness, something that many people with complex disabilities like Cerebral Palsy face in their everyday lives. One of our members Graham has attended for over 30 years and describes the Club as his lifeline, saying it has given him the support and friendship that he desperately needed. He says the friends he has made at the Club over the years are like having another family.

Cerebral Palsy Plus is the charity behind the Friendship Club, we are the only organization providing specific support to individuals of all ages living with Cerebral Palsy in Bristol and surrounding areas. Our mission is to support our members to live as independently as they wish and to live life to the full. Living with a complex disability presents many challenges, from the pain and discomfort caused by physical symptoms to the emotional impact of living with a disability.

The Mayor was greeted by the Friendship Club members with warmth and enthusiasm, and there was a wonderful sense of connection established on the evening. One of our members Adrian, was delighted that the Mayor remembered he used to live on the same road as him!

There was also a real sense of excitement in the room and the Mayor's presence was appreciated by the group, who were pleased he took an interest and enjoyed getting involved. He even took part in a game of Boccia alongside the members. Our member Helen said "He was really nice to talk to, and even said we could go to sit in the Lord Mayor's Chair!"

Another member Debbie shared that it meant a lot that the Mayor took time to visit the Club, saying "I was surprised by the visit! It was really enjoyable to listen to the Mayor and it was so special that he came."

As conversations flowed, the Mayor even extended a heartfelt invitation that the group could visit his office and sit in the Lord Mayor's Chair at City Hall, an opportunity some of the members are excited to take up.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mayor Marvin Rees for taking the time to visit the local Cerebral Palsy community here in Bristol, his presence meant a great deal to the members of our Club.