TheBowraBag

BOWRA BAG

MARK BOWRA, BOWRA BAG & RECUMBENT TRIKE

It’s a privilege to champion this charity. And the Bowra Bag truly equips people to take on the very real challenge of rehabilitation...

BEAR GRYLLS, ADVENTURER, WRITER, BROADCASTER AND

HONORARY COLONEL, ROYAL MARINES

BOWRA BAGS SUPPLIED BY THE FOUNDATION TO DATE

Developed and designed by Mark Bowra MBE

Whilst struggling with his recovery in hospital Mark started to put together in a rucksack a number of items which he was finding helpful with exercising his muscles, mental recovery and even eating. Mark found that these items had played such a significant part in his early recovery that he made a successful application to H4H for funding to make up a further number of bags which were handed out to other former serving stroke survivors. The feedback from that exercise was that the bags have significant merit which was a major inspiration for Mark to set up his foundation one of the major aims of which is to produce a further 500 “Bowra Bags” to present to NHS Trusts around the country in order to help as wider a group of stroke survivors as possible. The Bowra bags are also the inspiration for the foundation’s mantra:

What’s inside matters -

change what you think is possible

CONTENTS

Endeavour rucksack

The Bowra Bag is a rucksack for keeping all of the contents together, making it easy to transport. You can also hold the bag with the carrying handle. Using the zips and mesh pockets helps build confidence and independence of movement - getting your fingers and arms more mobile, and slinging on the Bowra Bag will help improve your coordination and spatial awareness.

Click below to watch the video

A6 notebook

This small notebook and pencil is Mark’s lifeline; he never goes anywhere without it. It helps with communication using writing and pictures, to keep reminders and note down thoughts and ideas. When Mark is struggling to find a word,

sometimes he can write the first letter of it which is a huge help in trying to be understood.

The Stroke Association’s

Fast Talk

Fast Talk is a booklet featuring words and pictures to help people with aphasia express themselves in everyday situations. The booklet is ring bound at the top and can easily be used with one hand. Alphabet and number pages are

also included.

www.stroke.org.uk

Photograph album

Struggling with memory is one of the biggest frustrations for a stroke survivor. A simple photo album with images of close family members has huge benefits for memory stimulation. This is really crucial at the early stages of recovery to help with the stress of not recognising loved ones. The photos really helped to trigger Mark’s memory and to start discussions – and they can be regularly changed to

help continually improve your memory.

Click below to watch the video

Distraction blanket

We have included a custom-made distraction blanket in the Bowra Bag kit. It has various fastenings and attachments to provide stimulation and comfort, improve dexterity and give sensory input.

It is also a very useful distraction to stop any attempts to fiddle with important medical equipment, which is something we had to stop Mark doing on many occasions!

Click below to watch the video

Whiteboard

Having this small whiteboard is incredibly useful to help with communication, especially when you find speech difficult. Mark's whole family used it a lot in

the early stages to get conversations started using a combination of words and drawings. They could show what day of the week it was; Mark was able

to show how he was feeling or if he needed something; we could draw pictures of the family and Mark could show who he was thinking about.

The board has been amazingly helpful over the years in all sorts of situations – it will help you make yourself understood and remove a lot of the frustration of communicating. The alphabet is printed on the top as an aid - it’s also great for

improving your handwriting.

Click below to watch the video

To do notes

Short term memory can be a real issue when you are recovering from a stroke, and forgetting simple things can be difficult for you and your relatives.

These ‘To do’ sticky notes can be used to remember the plan for the day, appointment times, to stimulate memory or just to make a note of things

which have happened. It also means you don’t forget to pass important information on to your family. The notes can be used by yourself, your relatives or by medical staff and be placed strategically around you to keep things on track.

Click below to watch the video

700ml Water bottle

Keeping yourself well hydrated is always really important so we have included a personal water bottle in the Bowra Bag. The bottle has a non-drip spout to avoid any spills and is transparent so you can easily see how much water is left inside. Taking charge of your own hydration will increase your sense of independence, and filling, using and storing the bottle all improve finger dexterity and hand-eye co-ordination.

Click below to watch the video

Resistance band, Exercise loop &

Exercise tube

Physical exercise is a really important part of your recovery, so we have included two different PhysioRoom products that are currently supplied to the NHS in the Bowra Bag. These are elasticated loops designed for light resistance exercise and can be used throughout the rehabilitation process. Your physiotherapist and

medical staff will be able to assist you with demonstrating the exercises as well as recommending how often to do them. More information, including demonstration videos, are available online for both products:

www.physioroom.com

Click below to watch the video

Easy tie shoelaces

Easy tie shoelaces enable you to securely fasten your shoes with a single hand. You simply need to stretch the elastic and push down the clasp. One of the hardest things about rehabilitation from a brain injury is having to rely heavily on the help of others and anything which you can do for yourself is a huge help to building confidence and independence.

Click below to watch the video

Headway/ARNI information booklets.

Mark’s close family was able to draw on tremendous support from other charities. The Bowra Bag contains a number of guide books that the family found particularly valuable and will help to signpost you to these remarkable charities.

www.headway.org.uk

www.arni.uk.com

A4 Sketch pad & pencil case

We have included a high quality A4 sketch pad in the Bowra Bag, along with a full set of colouring pencils and accessories in an easy-access case. Sketching and drawing is highly therapeutic. It has a calming effect when you are worrying about things and also helps develop attention to detail and hand-eye

co-ordination whilst relieving boredom

Click below to watch the video

Knork & non-slip mat

The Knork and non-slip mat are included to support independent eating in hospital, at home and in more formal settings such as in a restaurant. The knork is a high quality combined knife and fork designed for use with one hand. This means you can cut your own food and eat without having to ask for help.

Of course, if you are using only one hand to move your food around the plate will start to slide. Using the non-slip mat under your plate or bowl will stop this from happening. Together these items make eating a much less frustrating experience -which is another positive step towards recovering your independence.

Click below to watch the video

Playing cards & card holder

Playing simple card games such as snap can be very helpful in your recovery so we have included a standard deck of cards. The simple act of playing a game has many benefits – Mark greatly enjoyed interacting with the kids, and it also helps improve cognition, numeracy, co-ordination and mobility

Colouring Journal

This is a colouring book and journal for adults with images to colour in. The book is amazing for calming you down when you are feeling stressed – either doodling or colouring in the images. It gives you something to focus on thereby helping to relieve some of the boredom when you are in hospital. Mark found this really

helpful to keep him occupied, to help practice handwriting and to improve his fine motor skills.

Click below to watch the video

Stress Ball

A stress ball is included in the Bowra bag to provide stimulation and resistance for those seeking to exercise their hands. Mark has found the stress ball to be invaluable as it provides fantastic complementary support to his ongoing digit physiotherapy.

DOWNLOAD

Full Bowra Bag Instruction Manual

THE BOWRA BAG

MANUAL

These bags are such a simple idea, they could make all the difference for people having to face the sudden challenge of recovering from a stroke. The contents promote rehabilitation and continue social inclusion. Giving them the gift also shows that we still hold them in high regard as part of our society. The cleverly thought out contents will help support the three domains of a person’s life – the biological, the psychological and social – well done and thank you

DR STEVE TOMKINS

MEDICAL DIRECTOR

DORSET HEATHCARE, NHS

MARK BOWRA, BOWRABAG & EXERCISE BANDS

Everyone’s experience and recovery journey after stroke is different but it often requires significant changes to physical, social and emotional aspects of their lives. Mark’s idea of providing Bowra Bags based on his own life experience is simple but inspirational. As well as offering practical ideas and solutions, the bags are a gesture of kindness and support at a time which is often extremely challenging. This gift is a timely reminder that that ‘what’s inside matters’ as people are coming to terms with their new situation and finding ways to get their lives back on track.

PROFESSOR LESLEY HAIG, PHYSIOTHERAPIST & PRINCIPAL AECC UNIVERSITY COLLEGE