Winter 2009
Welcome to our Winter Newsletter
We would like to extend a warm welcome to any new members of the South Yorkshire Branch who are reading this for the first time. We send out our newsletter every three months to keep you up to date with events within the Motor Neurone Disease Association, both locally and nationally. Nearly 350 copies of the newsletter are posted out to Branch Members, Health Care Professionals and others around South Yorkshire so please get in touch if you have any information to pass on or anything which you think may be of interest or help to others in the Branch. You will see from the newsletter that it is a good way to advertise events or to let people know what has been happening to raise awareness of MND in our area. You will find a list of contacts at the back of the newsletter with telephone numbers and e-mail addresses, including the e-mail address for our local web site.
The South Yorkshire web site is another way of keeping every one informed of the activities within the local area and for passing on information. The site is kept up to date and also includes links to other sites of interest, as well as a link to the main MND site.
You can find it at www.mndsouthyorkshire.org
Michael
The South Yorkshire Branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association has the sole aim of helping those in the area who are affected by MND. This includes people with MND, their carers, family and friends. You will see as you read this News Letter that a great deal of money has been raised over the last few months swelling the Branch bank balance. Money in the bank however is not the aim, it needs to be used. We are able to help in many ways including help with transport, (i.e. taxis), the purchase of equipment, helping to fund a holiday and many other ways. So please contact us we really want to help.
The Committee
Chairman's Report
The visit to Winthrop Park on the 22nd September was well supported, and the weather being kind we had a delightful afternoon. They had closed the garden prior to our arriving so we had he whole place to ourselves. We were made extremely welcome and escorted round the beautiful garden in three separate groups which made it so comfortable and relaxing. We were all most impressed by the whole complex and full of admiration for the host of volunteers who had produced this "paradise" out of an old sewage farm, and manage to maintain it in such pristine condition. The previous week the Princess Royal had been to present a very merited award but they assured us the place had not been spruced up for her visit. On completion of our saunter amongst the flowers and shrubs we were treated to a delicious afternoon tea and a very pressing invitation to make a return visit next year.
The next event is the "mince pie" open meeting at Rotherham on the 7th December followed on the 15th by the Sheffield one. The speaker on this occasion is David Greenlees who was Director of Music for Sheffield Education Committee until his retirement. He is a really superb and very entertaining speaker and in great demand by probus clubs and townswomen guilds etc. and I feel we are very lucky to have managed to get him. Do come if you can; you will be in for a treat.
Our arrangement with the Cavendish Centre is now proceeding well and the various therapies on offer are being used with very beneficial effect by the people who have taken advantage of them.
The final total for our share from the Half Marathon is just about £20,000-00; a splendid achievement and great credit to all the runners, sponsors and volunteers who supported our cause. Recruitment for next years event is now underway so anyone who is willing to take part either use our website or contact Ann Quinn, Michael Hickman, Paul Hebblethwaite or myself for entry forms.
And so, as the magazines say, a very Happy Christmas to all our readers.
Gordon
Treasurers Report
The quarter to 31st October was another successful quarter with income totalling £12705. Donations from both individuals and companies were particularly good this quarter. Expenditure on patient care and equipment was also well up on average at £6618. We are certainly set for a record year both in respect of income and the amount expended in supporting those living with MND Paul
Fund Raising & Social Events .
Sheffield Half Marathon Awards Evening
The Awards Presentation evening was held at the Don Valley Stadium on 11th November. Much to every ones surprise each of the 10 charities was asked to say a few words about themselves. In the absence of Gordon, who was ill, Jane and Ann came to our rescue. Of the 10 awards for the highest fund raisers 3 came to MND runners, Jessica Bannister, Sarah Carson and Julie Bullen.
Don't forget we are looking for runners for next years event so if you are a runner or know someone who is please contact us. Or why not go "bananas" and enter the fun run.
___________________________________
Jim Exton
Charity Night
A musical evening was held at the Davy's Sports Club on Prince of Wales Road on 23rd October In memory of Jim Exton. A cheque for £2080-00 was presented to the Branch by Annette and the organiser Steve Smith at The Birley Hotel on Monday 23rd November.
Congratulations also to Trish Morton on completing the Machu Pichu challenge
Donations to the Branch are always welcome and provide a large part of our income. If you wish to make a donation please contact the Branch Treasurer:-
Paul Hebblethwaite
55 Newfield Lane,
Dore,
Sheffield, S17 3DD
Tel 0114 2363222
Chris Glovers Story -
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I had always believed, with any serious or terminal illness, there were two ways of dealing with it: - either tackle it head on and fight it every inch of the way or curl up and die. This belief was well and truly put to the test on 6th of Dec 2007 when, after two days of extensive tests in Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Prof Pam Shaw confirmed an earlier diagnosis of MND.
Not being a "Curl up and Die" person, I sat with my partner Diane and we decided we would do as much as we could together while we were able to. As we both enjoy travel and holidays, we decided this would be a good use of that time.
So we embarked on a catalogue of trips, trying to do and see as much as we could due to not knowing how much time we had.
We both felt the need for sunshine, so in Jan 2008, we booked a last minute, all inclusive fortnight in Lanzarote. This proved a much needed tonic for both of us. We also met a wonderful couple and we still remain friends. We had a fabulous time!
My next trip, in early June, presented a bit more of a challenge, as by then I was only able to walk with the aid of a walking stick and the trip was a ten day motorcycle tour of Germany and back! As my sports-bike had become virtually impossible to ride due to my worsening condition, I changed it for a more suitable bike, bought a fold-up walking stick, packed it on my bike and off I went! With the help of my brother and sister-in-law and others on the tour, I had a fantastic trip, even fitting in a lap of the Nurburgring to boot!
As things turned out, this Germany trip became my 'stag party' as, in February, leap year day to be precise, my partner Diane proposed to me. So the next trip we made together was down the aisle! On June 21st we had a wonderful wedding day with family and friends, despite the weather trying its best to dampen everyone's spirits. The following week we were off on our travels again, visiting Diane's sister and her family in Vancouver for a three week honeymoon.
You may be thinking by now that life had become one long holiday - you would be correct and what is wrong with that? No sooner were we back from Vancouver, than we were off to Greece for a two week holiday with Diane's son, daughter-in-law and our two grand-daughters.
During the winter of 2008 and early 2009, we had several weekends away by coach, but these only served to pass time until our biggest adventure of all!
In March 2009 we embarked on what was for me the holiday of a lifetime. We flew Kenya Airways to Nairobi, and then set off for a 4 day safari on the world famous Masai Mara game reserve. I did wonder at times if we had finally 'bitten off more than we could chew' as by now I was virtually confined to a wheelchair. However, thanks to the dogged determination of Diane and the helpfulness of the wonderful Kenyan people and people we met on the trip we had a fantastic and memorable time.
After seeing all the "Big 5" plus 30 or so other animals and 35 different species of birds we left the Masai Mara and flew to Mombasa for 11 nights relaxing on Mombasa beach overlooking the Indian Ocean. This led to me achieving a life-long ambition. I had always wanted to swim in the Indian Ocean, but after a discussion with friends , discretion became the better part of stupidity and a paddle in the sea was decided upon. So with a lot of help I went down the steps and across the 20 yards of sandy beach into the beautiful warm waters of the Indian Ocean!
With another trip to Vancouver recently completed, my message to anyone recently diagnosed with MND should be clear - it doesn't have to be the end of the world! For me it started a period in my life which I've enjoyed immensely and in which I have achieved many of my life's goals. And you never know you may even get a wonderful, gorgeous woman proposing to you!
Chris
Diary Dates 2009/2010
Past Carers Group
An informal "Past Carers" Support Group has been meeting on an occasional basis. The Group has met at local garden centres and more recently at the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield for a coffee and a chat.
From now on the meetings are to be held on a regular basis in the Millennium Galleries on the second Sunday of every even month. The first of these get togethers will be on
Sunday December 13th at 2-00pm
and then the next on
Sunday 14th February 2010 at 2-00pm
If you would like more details please contact Olga.
Sheffield Half Marathon 2010
Sunday April 25th
Pre event briefing for those who have volunteered to help on the day will be held at the Don Valley Stadium on
Wednesday 14th April at 7-00pm
Loxley Brass Band
For the third year we have again booked the Loxley Band along with Christina and Michael.
Saturday May 8th