Countess of Wessex helps Bridgwater charity mark 40th anniversary

  • Watch Ben McGrail's report here.

The Countess of Wessex has paid a visit to a Bridgwater-based charity to mark its fortieth anniversary.

Brainwave helps children with disabilities and conditions like cerebral palsy, autism and Downs syndrome.

The organisation was the first charity that Sophie took on 20 years ago, and she’s stayed close to them ever since.

Maddy Brinkley first became a service user at Brainwave in 2003 and had a poor prognosis that she may never walk or talk, both of which she is now able to do.

She said: "What Brainwave meant to me was having a good experience, having a really good fun time spending really good memories of the team."

The Countess met several current and former service users of Brainwave

Countless former service users have ended up as supporters of Brainwave, keeping that relationship going for years and even decades.

Chief executive Keith Sinclair said: "It's been life-changing.

"The children that we support, when they come to us possibly they can't walk or they can't talk or have difficulty with feeding.

"As a result of working with our therapists, we're able to achieve fantastic outcomes for them where children are able to walk and to feed and become more independent and unlock their potential."