April 9 2026

Keeping going: two weeks of rehab at Chedington Estate

Our Founder Mark Bowra established BOWRA Foundation following a stroke that changed his life. Living with Aphasia, which affects his ability to communicate, Mark uses dictation and the Day One Journal app to translate his thoughts into words, sharing his journey exactly as it comes out.

THE STORY Recovery never stops. This month covered a lot of ground.

THE STORY Recovery never stops. This month covered a lot of ground.
MARK'S WORDS Unedited. Exactly as Mark wrote it. This is what Aphasia looks like.

ARNI

Scott, my ARNI instructor (arni.co.uk), has been a constant. I’ve also met with Tom Balkin several times now and his book has been invaluable. The ARNI approach is about working towards independence, doing the exercises yourself, training consistently. It’s hard, especially when communication is a challenge on top of everything else, but the exercises work. My hamstrings have been a focus, tightening them up through constant practice. The work on body movement, the mechanical arm, pelvic shift, the small technical details, all of it adds up. It’s not cheap but it’s worth it.

Two Weeks at Chedington Estate with Hobbs Rehabilitation

Thanks to Help for Heroes funding, I spent two weeks at Chedington Estate with Hobbs Rehabilitation. It was also my birthday whilst I was there, which made it even more special.

The therapy programme was intense and varied. Cycling, paddleboarding, golf, speech and language therapy, psychology and specialist input across the board.

The results were real. Better posture, improved ability to stand, specific work on my coccyx and pelvis that made a noticeable difference.

I feel extremely lucky to have access to these facilities on my personal recovery path and understand this is not something everyone has access to. This was actually one of the reasons that inspired me to create BOWRA Foundation, so that everyone can access a community and activities to inspire life after brain injury.

Stryker

Stryker is a major medical technology company based in Newbury. They have strong links with the military community and a genuine commitment to wellbeing. I visited their site recently and the building, the space, the setup is exceptional.

The visit was about more than just a day out. Stryker are supporting BOWRA Foundation and helping get the BOWRA Bag into hospitals. The BOWRA Bag is a low cost, practical kit designed to support stroke and brain injury patients. Getting a company like Stryker behind it, with their medical expertise and reach, is a significant step forward.

This is Mark’s blog exactly as he wrote it. Unedited, unfiltered. This is what living with Aphasia looks like.

The https://arni.co.uk instructor Scott and Tom Balkin I’ve got the book and loads of trips around I met him 2×3×4 times and it’s my point of explaining it you can do it totally independent. but it’s super hard it is you know a mild stroke it’s you know it’s train all the time. But my point of the mechanical arm do you know the interest (disease) of body movement and the pelvic shift and it’s explaining the interest. I can’t communicate and compounding with me of had a brain injury and it’s it adds up the top point of the only way is expensive no affordable you know it it is my point of the ARNI instructor 12345 the the exercises and it is brilliant it is the hamstrings tightened up right practice hamstrings all the time.

Chedlington 2 weeks Hobbs

Cheddington is the Doctor Guy he owns the land and the estate and it’s a brilliant surroundings and peace and quiet and no one there you know it’s super peaceful.

Thank you @help4heroes for funding my rehab stay with @Hobbs Rehabilitation at @Chedington Estate.

It was a pleasure meeting Dr Geoffrey Guy, he and the Hobbs team have such a can-do attitude and what they have set up here together is great.

Grounds – amazing, the estate is world-class, super peaceful, no people, nature, relaxing. Food – unbelievable, special treat for my birthday, fine dining, hand-made, little touches, healthy, fruit all the time. Accommodation – staff on-hand for whatever you need, wonderful facilities. Therapy – Bike, Paddleboard, Golf, Speech and Language Therapy and Psychology, Specialist expertise, No people – able to feel confident, no-one staring, total freedom to do what I need. Changes – loads of things – improved posture, better ability to stand up – little things like working my coccyx and pelvis make a big difference, focusing on the specialist details.

@Helen Hobbs is a trustee of the @Bowra Foundation and we have been working closely together with Hobbs for several years. It is great to bring all these links together and share ideas for how we can help other people in the future.

Stryker company it’s Newbury and is a big company and it’s a well-being company and the backstory of loads of military people and a brilliant south is a brilliant set up and it’s loads of designs and the backstory of raising money a Stryker you know it’s brilliant way to get to the people of the Bowra bag. and it is brilliant but the backstory of had a stroke but my point of symbolising is no I couldn’t do it and the wife I can’t do it seriously ill and fun but my point of the backstory of symbolising is essential around hospitals but my point of striker is the medical expertise and development and the barrel bag is is essential but you know but my point is so cheap you know to run and a brilliant location it’s brilliant venue but it’s a nice building and nice food and the space is exceptional.