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1 Crewe & District Branch Parkinson’s UK Annual General Meeting 5 th February 2013

Crewe & District Branch Parkinson’s UK 2013-02-15 · 4 Crewe & District Branch Parkinson’s UK Annual General Meeting 15th February 2012 Minutes Welcome (Chairman) Michael Kinsey,

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Page 1: Crewe & District Branch Parkinson’s UK 2013-02-15 · 4 Crewe & District Branch Parkinson’s UK Annual General Meeting 15th February 2012 Minutes Welcome (Chairman) Michael Kinsey,

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Crewe & District Branch Parkinson’s UK

Annual General Meeting

5th

February 2013

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Contents

Agenda 2

Minutes of AGM held 15th February 2012 4

Chairperson’s Report 10

Treasurers Report and Annual Accounts 12

Secretary’s Report 13

Winsford Sub-Branch Report 15

Information Support Officers Report 17

Fund Raising Report 2011 – 2012 18

Acknowledgements 21

Future Events 2013 22

Contact Details 24

Report Editor

Angela Allinson

Editorial Content

Angela Allinson

Dennis Fricker

Mike Card

Sue Pickup

Rhona Thomas

Sandra Gott

Sue Hughes

Jill Strickland

Photographs

Dennis Fricker

Sue Pickup

Carole Buckingham

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Agenda

1. Introduction and welcome by Chair

2. Guest Speaker : Colin Cheeseman Trustee and Hon Secretary

Parkinson’s UK

Colin Cheeseman was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2006 and became

hon. secretary in 2007. Colin is a solicitor, and spent his working life in local

government. For 5 years prior to his retirement in 2002, he was chief

executive of Cheshire County Council, having previously worked in

Nottinghamshire and Portsmouth. Colin was diagnosed with Parkinson's in

2001. He has been the secretary of the Chester branch since 2004.

Guest: Marion Rogers Regional Manager Parkinson’s UK

Marion will give a short presentation on both local and national issues.

REFRESHMENTS

3. Apologies for absence from Chair

4. Approval of the minutes of AGM held 15th February 2012

5. Chairman’s report

6. Treasurer’s report and annual accounts

7. Secretary’s report

8. Information and Support Officer’s report

9. Election of Committee members

10. Any other business

Nomination Proposed by Seconded by

President Ray Stafford

Vice President Gerry Wilford

Chairperson Vacancy

Vice Chairperson Jenny Sadler

Treasurer Carole Buckingham

Secretary Vacancy

Fundraising Sue Pickup

Membership Linda Cooke

Committee Angela Allinson

Mike Card

Andrew Fricker

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Crewe & District Branch Parkinson’s UK

Annual General Meeting

15th February 2012

Minutes

Welcome (Chairman)

Michael Kinsey, Chairman, welcomed Members and their friends to the meeting,

particularly our invited Guests, Dr Simon Ellis MD, Consultant Neurologist, Mrs

Marion Rogers, Regional Manager (North West) Parkinson’s UK, Mr Ray Stafford,

President Crewe & District Branch. It was pleasing to see so many turn up on such a

cold winters evening.

Michael invited our President to pay a tribute to Vi Pownall

Tribute to Vi Pownall

Ray spoke on behalf of everyone who remembers what a huge impact Vi had in

many ways, particularly with our Branch, she was instrumental in raising the

incredible amount of over £30,000 towards funding our own Specialist Nurse. Sadly

she passed away before her dream was realised, but we are very hopeful that it will

happen in the not too distant future. She and her daughters Janet and Carol worked

tirelessly for the Branch, and in 2006, Vi started the satellite branch at Winsford,

which continues to prosper. She continued with her hard work until her health meant

she had to cut back on all her voluntary roles. She will be long remembered by the

many organisations she helped.

Ray also brought to our attention 3 other members who sadly passed away last year,

Charlotte Jones, Ray Moorland, and Dorothy Shaw. He asked for a minutes silence

in their memories.

Guest Speaker

Michael introduced Dr Simon Ellis MD, MA, PRCP, MBA, Cert Med Ed, Consultant

Neurologist, University of North Staffordshire.

Dr Ellis called his talk “The History of Parkinson’s Disease” as he felt it was a good

way to relate current treatment to their historical background. As with most medical

conditions the significance of developments in treatments and sometimes cures, lies

in small, apparently unconnected events. It is only with the benefit of hindsight, and

the gathering of diverse bits of information, that we now can say with some

confidence, that we have more of the picture. It is still incomplete, but medical

science continues to search for the “Holy Grail”, in our case, for the prevention of, or

cure for Parkinson’s.

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He began his talk with some accounts from “ancient times”, e.g., an Egyptian

papyrus from the 12th Century BC mentions a” King drooling with age”, or Biblical

references to tremor. An Indian account from 10th Century BC describes a “disease

that involves tremor, lack of movement, drooling”, surely this describes Parkinson’s;

moreover it was treated with remedies derived from the L-DOPA family.

He went on to tell us of James Parkinson, who was born in 1755 in Shoreditch,

London, and by the age of 25 was a well-known political figure. Following the death

of his father in 1784, he took over his medical practice in Hoxton Square, and

became a distinguished Physician. He was the first recipient of the Gold Medal of

Royal College of Surgeons in 1822. In 1817 he wrote an Essay, called “The shaking

Palsy”, which very accurately described the symptoms of Parkinson’s, which are very

little different to-day. They were, resting tremor, abnormal posture and gait, paralysis

and diminished muscle strength, and progression over time. This work was largely

unrecognised for some 40yrs. An eminent French doctor, Jean-Martin Charcot

rediscovered this important work and renamed the condition Parkinson’s Disease.

He made the distinction between rigidity, weakness and bradykinesia.

Dr Ellis went on to describe the various treatments for Parkinson’s over the years,

from the often highly toxic preparations in the 18th and 19th Centuries; to the modern

drugs we are familiar with to-day. He also told us of current neurosurgical techniques

and the hopes for stem cell therapy for the future, despite some early

disappointments.

He ended his talk by re-iterating the “Holy Grail”, looking for neuroprotection,

identifying markers before symptoms appear and initiating treatment at an earlier

stage to prolong the dopamine production in the brain.

The Chairman called for questions from the audience, some of which were “How

much training do doctors get in Parkinson’s?” Dr Ellis said there was no specific

training, but, as GP’s see an average of 2-3 patients in their Surgery, they have a

good understanding of the condition. Parkinson’s is difficult to diagnose, symptoms

from other conditions can be similar, and the patient often displays characteristics of

other conditions at the same time. Another question was “ Is there any evidence that

trauma or stress can trigger Parkinson’s?” Dr Ellis thought that as Parkinson’s

develops slowly, it was unlikely that trauma initiates the condition; rather a stressful

incident may concentrate the mind to seek medical help for symptoms that had

actually been developing over a matter of many months. Another question “Is

Parkinson’s genetic?” Dr Ellis stated that generally Parkinson’s was not heredity, but

it does sometimes run in families. It is actually more common with husband/wife

combinations.

The Chairman called on Bob Bennion to give a vote of thanks to Dr Ellis.

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Lee Edwards, Events Manager at “Belong Crewe”, gave us an overview of the

concept of the Community Village, and said he was looking forward to welcoming

The Crewe & District branch to Belong Crewe. He hopes it will be a long and

successful relationship, and that we will be able to develop links with other users of

the unit.

………………………………………….

The Chairman called on Marion Rogers, Regional Manager of Parkinson’s UK to

give a presentation.

Marion began by saying how encouraging it was to see so many people, in her

experience in was unusual to have so many turn up for AGM’s. She has been

Regional Manager for 11 years now and has seen many changes, the most dramatic

being a change of focus from Head Office, who now take their lead from the

membership, responding to their concerns and requests. She said Head Office is

firmly committed to the 6 goals as outlined by Steve Ford at last year’s AGM.

She gave us a resume of the current position regarding our bid for a Specialist

Nurse. Despite being unable to get any response, or commitment from the Primary

Care Trust, due to the current political situation, Katherine French continues to press

hard for a meeting with the stake holders. Marion and Katherine have worked

together for 8 years and she told us Katherine has never failed to secure a Nurse

post, and even in these unprecedented times, she will not give up, and will change

tactics as many times as necessary to break through the barrier. Both Katherine and

Marion made a plea for members to contact their local Member of Parliament to

press for progress in securing our nurse. All the groundwork has been done, the bid

is ready to be presented, but the frustrating thing is we cannot get anyone to meet

with us to further the bid. During the next few weeks, Katherine is composing

template letters for us all to send to our individual MP’s, and the Branch will distribute

this to all members in the very near future. Please help them to help us by sending

the letters off. She told us that the money raised by this Branch is safe and will be

made available as soon as it is asked for by the PCT. On an encouraging note the

true value of Specialist Nurses to the PCT’s has been well documented. So much so

that within this region 5 nurse posts have become vacant recently due to a variety of

reasons, and each post has been advertised and all 5 posted have been filled.

Marion said Head Office is committed to Research and encouraged us to become

involved in any local projects, mentioning one due to start at Manchester University

looking into speech problems.

Marion ended her presentation by congratulating the membership in being

instrumental in Parkinson’s UK being named Charity of the Year 20

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There then followed a break for refreshments. Our thanks to Mike Card and his wife

Lynn for organising the Cheese and Wine etc. which was enjoyed by all.

Cheque Presentations

The Chairman presented cheques to Marion Rogers, one for £4000 for Research

and one for £2000 for Head Office General Fund.

A cheque for £250 was presented to the Branch from Wyche & Malbank Masonic

Lodge, for the Research Fund.

Another cheque for £500 was presented by Viv Ransone and Karen Barnes,

proceeds from coffee mornings, and yet another cheque for £157.50 was given by

Carol Cunningham, proceeds from making and selling beautiful scarves.

A final cheque for £300 was presented by Pat’s grandson from sponsorship from a

Cross-country run.

The Chairman thanked all concerned for their generosity which is gratefully

appreciated.

………………………………………………….

The Main Meeting then continued with apologies for absence from Jeanette and Karl

Longworth. The Chairman thanked Pat and Vera for all their help at the Branch and

other meetings with the Raffle and more recently the Football Draw.

Michael then stepped down and Marion Rogers continued with the Election of

Officers pointing out that the reports from the outgoing Chairman, Secretary and

treasurer were all in the programme for everyone to read. She asked for any

questions relating to these reports, and as there were none forthcoming the election

continued.

There has been a late nomination for President, which unfortunately was too late to

be included in the Programme, and Marion explained there would be a ballot which

Members of the Crewe & District Branch would be eligible to vote on.

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Election of Officers

Officers Elected Proposed Seconded

President Ray Stafford Dennis Rhona

Vice President Gerry Wilford Dennis Rhona

Michael Kinsey Withdrew for health reasons

Chairman Bob Bennion Withdrew nomination

Dennis Fricker Jenny Angela

Vice Chairman Jenny Sadler Allison Linda

Treasurer Mike Card Allison Sandra

Secretary Angela Allison Jenny Sue

Fund Raising Sue Pickup Rhona Jenny

Membership Carol Buckingham Pete Buckingham Ann Blockley

Committee Linda Cooke Sue Rhona

Although Bob withdrew his nomination, as Dennis had received 26 votes, he was

duly elected as Chairman, and then took over for the remainder of the meeting.

Mike Card stated that he would be stepping down as Treasurer at the next AGM and

Marion said it would be a good idea if the Branch could actively seek nominations for

a new Treasurer at an early stage so that the transfer could be achieved smoothly.

Dennis then called on Ray, as President, to propose a vote of thanks to Michael, for

all his efforts over the years and particularly in his year as Chairman of the Crewe &

District Branch and presented him with a small gift in appreciation. Ray

acknowledged that behind every good man was a good lady, and thanked Gill for all

her support to both Michael and the Branch, and she was presented with a bouquet.

Ray thanked the retiring Chairman for all his efforts, presiding over a very

successful year for the Branch. He said we must now look to the coming year and

wished the new Chairman, Dennis, good luck, and future success for the Branch

Sue gave a vote of thanks to the retiring Secretary, Rhona, who was also presented

with a bouquet.

Marion also wished to formally acknowledge the retirement of previous committee

members and thanked them for their contribution to the Branch on behalf of Head

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Office. She wished the new committee all good luck for the coming year and said

she and her fellow Officers were there to help in any way they could.

Any Other Business

Mike (Card) asked if anyone had any comments regarding the change of day for the

Crewe Branch meetings, but as there was no response the change from 3rd

Wednesday to 3rd Tuesday stands. Sandra wanted to point out that the Winsford

meetings take place on the last Wednesday of the month, not the 4th as printed in the

programme.

The meeting closed at 9.15pm.

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Chairman’s Report 2012-2013

When I was elected Chairman of the Branch I was privileged to follow a Chairman

who had led the team in improving, in the local area, an understanding of

Parkinson’s.

Many thanks to Michael and Gill.

During the last 12 months members of the committee, with family and friends, have

been successfully involved in a number of activities and events, and I will mention

just a few of them.

Events

Canal Walk May

This was an idea by Pat Robinson to get friends who were regular walkers ( approx.

40 ) to ” Walk the Shropshire Union Canal” in aid of Parkinson’s UK, However as

the numbers increased it was realized that help was necessary and the Branch

team joined in. A total of 220 people took part giving £22,578.20 to Parkinson’s UK.

Big Band Concert November

Sandbach School Big Band and Matthew Ford joined with the Branch for a joint fund

raiser. The event was a great success thanks to Sue and her helpers. A total of

£1200 was our share.

Garden Party August

Many Thanks to Angela and Graham for a wonderful sunny afternoon Garden Party

held at Hatherton Lodge. There were many stalls and games plus cream teas and a

BBQ. A total of £1200 was raised for the Branch, thanks to Angela, Graham and

their hard working team.

Activities

Afternoon Tea at Crewe Hall

This has become an annual gathering in the grand setting of Crewe Hall and an

enjoyable time was had by the 30 members and friends.

Lunch at Minshulls Garden Centre May

The Branch organised a lunch at the Garden Centre for members and friends. Lunch

was followed by a visit to the nursery and there have been requests to repeat it again

in 2013

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Overseas

The Branch has an overseas member. Mrs Margaret Elwell lives near Almeria in

southern Spain and together with friends she has held a number of small events for

Parkinson’s UK. To date nearly £1,000 has been donated to Branch funds.

Retirement

Mike Card is retiring as Treasurer at the AGM for health reasons. The team wishes

him and his family the very best for the future and hopes he will remain a member of

the committee.

Research

As the Research Representative for the Branch I have been to a number of meetings

discussing the various projects aimed at finding a cure. The projects are tackling the

problem from different angles with some success and I look forward to the results of

the current trials. Recently a project, with which I have been involved, has

completed the work on” Aids to help those with Parkinson’s” and the results are due

out soon.

Parkinson’s Specialist Nurse

A representative from the NW Office is to report at the AGM on the possibility of a

specialist nurse for the area.

As a result of my recent health problems my family, friends and the branch

committee members have persuaded me to withdraw from the Chairmanship. I will,

however, continue my work in research monitoring and review of research

applications. Finally, my sincere thanks, to all of the committee members and people

who help where, and when necessary. Dennis

Margaret Elwell and

friends near Almeria in

Southern Spain

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Treasurer’s Report

Please find attached a copy of the annual financial returns for your perusal and I will

try my best to answer any queries or concerns. The original documents can be

inspected by any member at my office ( by appointment please )

This is my third and last report, 3 years ago I was presented with the very healthy

accounts a balance of almost £50,000 which was mostly raised by the late Vi

Pownall and her team to pay for a specialist nurse. With the permission of Vi and the

members we used most of this money to support the work of the national society,

whilst getting a written undertaking from Vauxhall Bridge that when we needed

finance for the nurse they would have monies available far in excess of the £50,000 “

invested ”. During my time as treasurer Crewe and District have sent over £60,000 to

support our society whilst keeping a healthy bank balance locally to support local

people.

I would like to thank ;

The committee, past and present, for their help, support and advice, especially Vi for

being Vi, Dennis for still being here at 80 still smiling and for being my partner in

Abbot & Costello. Sue and family for all their hard work and getting me involved in

the first place.

The members and friends who have raised and donated funds so generously over

the years too numerous to mention but you know who you are, and I don`t want to

miss anyone .

The families who have donated in memory of loved ones.

Thank you all from the smallest gift to the largest. It all helps and we CAN make a

difference , there will be a cure one day, PLEASE let us continue to support the

society, WE HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE.

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.

Mike

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Secretary’s Report

Last January I decided to stand for Branch Secretary as work commitments were

reduced and so therefore I had the time, and could commit to the volunteer position.

I was then duly elected as branch secretary. I soon found out that there is more

involved in the position than writing the agenda and taking the minutes. As such the

role has taken much more of my time than I envisaged at the start.

I have, however, enjoyed working on the committee with Dennis, Jenny, Sue, Mike,

Sandra, Carole, Linda and more recently Andrew. They are a fantastic group of

people and give up a great deal of their own time for the branch and Parkinson’s

nationally. Without a dedicated group of people like those at Crewe & District, the

charity would not be able to continue and we should not take them for granted.

Therefore, on behalf of the branch members and Parkinson’s UK, I would like to

thank them for all for their hard work and commitment.

This year, we as a committee, have organised social events for branch members to

enable them to come together and socialise, to avoid the isolation which affects a

great deal of people affected by this condition. The Winsford sub-branch is very

good at the afternoon social events, under the leadership of the wonderful Sandra

and her husband John. They are truly an inspiration to us all! The Young at Heart

Group, which meets at The Duke of Gloucester Pub every month, has proved very

popular for those members who can only make evening events. We have already

devised a programme of branch events for the coming year, for both Crewe and

Winsford (which you will find at the back of the report). In order to fund these events

we have organised local fundraising activities. (I will not detail these here as they

have already been mentioned in other parts of the report). Needless to say, in order

for any of these events to go ahead, social and fundraising, we need extra people

and resources for them to be a success. I would like to thank everyone personally

who has helped or contributed in any way to any of the events in 2012 and those

who are going to help in 2013. Too numerous to mention here, but you know who

you are.

Some of the money we have raised has been donated to head office, in order that

the charity can provide the invaluable free telephone helplines and Information

Support Workers etc. The rest of the money was, and is, donated to research, to

fund the fight for a cure for Parkinson’s, which is what everybody affected by

Parkinson’s is waiting to for. I am sure that day will come, for me personally it

cannot come too soon!

We have also got involved in events organised by other groups of people and other

branches, for example the Shropshire Union Walk. This was a very successful fund

raising event for the charity and all funds were donated to research (see certificate at

back of report).

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We have also had a great deal of money donated by people to the branch, either

from an event they have held themselves, or in memory of a loved one. I hope I

have thanked them personally by letter but if I missed you out by mistake, please

accept our thanks for the donation, and be assured the money will be used wisely.

The committee members have attended training events and information events

organised by Parkinson’s UK and generally tried to keep up to date with

developments in the charity, and the condition itself, for the benefit of the members.

We have continued to persue the need for a Parkinson’s Nurse for local people,

meeting with our local MP and representatives from the NHS to explain the situation

in detail to them. This is still on-going at present, with no end in sight to report.

On a personal note, I would just like to mention the Garden Party, which was held in

my garden on a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon in late August. I would like to thank

all the people who helped make the event a great success. These include my Mum

and my Aunt who were fantastic! They came to stay for a long weekend from

Birmingham and did everything from helping to set up the event, running a stall on

the day and clearing up afterwards. They even got involved in making jam, and are

now experts at it! Also to my friends, Kate who helped with the refreshments,

Kathryn and David who helped with stalls and car parking, Brian and Gaynor who

cooked all the food on the BBQ, to Skip who lent us free of charge most of the

tables, chairs and gazebo’s, Sandbach Scout Group for lending us the marquee,

Paul Jones Tribute Band for playing all afternoon, committee members with their

families and friends and anybody else who I have forgot to mention. Of course, I

would like to thank everyone who supported the event by turning up to the event and

spending their money!

Finally, I am sorry to say that I will not be standing for re-election as Branch

Secretary. Work commitments mean I do not have the time to give to this important

role. I will support the branch, as and when time allows, but for now I will not be

involved on a regular basis. Once again, I would just like to thank all the outgoing

committee members for their assistance and to say I have enjoyed working with you

all. My best wishes for a healthy and happy future, are with you all.

Angela X

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Report from Winsford Sub-Branch

The Winsford Group have continued to support the meetings at the Dingle Centre

once again in 2012. Members old and new have joined together for a chat and

refreshments, listened to speakers, went back in time for the jubilee and enjoyed

Bill’s film show. Also, they have enjoyed the Christmas coffee afternoon and also

meeting up with Crewe for social events including lunch at Minshull’s Garden Centre,

Afternoon Tea at Crewe Hall, Garden Party at Hatherton Lodge and Matthew Ford &

the Big Band at Nantwich Civic Centre. We ended the year with Christmas Lunch at

the Waverley Hotel in Crewe. We would like to thank the committee for organising

these excellent events which were enjoyed by everyone, and helping us out when

we needed it.

Thanks to the members at Winsford for all the help they give over the year, including

donating raffle prizes, tea and biscuits etc. we could not run the meetings without this

help. Thanks also to Sue Hughes, ISW, for her support and for the excellent work

she does for the members. Also, to Gill Carberry, for popping in to see us, and

updating us on Parkinson’s UK. The Dingle Centre staff and everyone at Crewe and

Winsford, who have given us lifts over the year.

2012 did have a sad side as during the year we lost a number of long standing

members at both Crewe and Winsford, due to bearevement. We would like to thank

the families who thought about us at this time and sent in donations in memory of

their loved ones to Parkinson’s UK.

Lastly, many of you ring and ask how John is doing since his Deep Brain Stimulation

(DBS) surgery. It’s taken a while but we have a better quality of life than we had

Sandra & John Gott

Winsford Sub-Branch meeting

December 2012

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before as the shaking has stopped completely. DBS is not a cure and it’s not for

everyone, but we are very glad John was given the chance to have the operation.

We feel that to be free of the shakes is a major step forward and anything else that

comes along is a bonus. We think that for his age he has done very well. Thanks

once again for all the support we have been given. Best wishes and a Happy New

year to all members and carer.

Sandra & John Gott

Branch members enjoying tea and cakes,

at a Winsford Branch meeting.

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Information and Support Officer’s Report 2012

July to December 2012 :

Total interactions = 629

Service User Needs o Carers issues = 32 o Housing issues =6 o Respite =4 o Employment = 8 o Social/education = 18 o Mobility = 19 o Health care = 23 o Social care = 8 o Equipment/adaptations = 27 o Benefits = 20

New referrals are steady (many thanks to Sandra too) and I am also receiving more on line enquiries direct from clients and their families. I have noticed an increase in the need to support clients applying for blue badges this year following the introduction of the on line application process. I have also applied for several Mali Jenkins grants as statutory funding criteria gets stricter. As well as client work I have attended support groups, training sessions, supervisions, and team and cluster meetings. Sue Hughes ISW (Central and Eastern Cheshire) Parkinson's UK

Tel:0844 225 3756

[email protected]

(part time: usually Monday, Tuesday and Thursday)

ISW Service Central and East Cheshire area Jan – July 2012 189 referrals to the ISW service and 77 general enquiries £97,589.00 raised in unclaimed benefits. ISW Service North West overall: Jan – July 2012 1492 referrals and 2345 general enquiries Benefits: £2,373,018.00 Jill Strickland

Information and Support Manager (North West)

Parkinsons UK

Tel: 0844 225 3652 Mob: 078761 35822

Email: [email protected]

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Fund Raising 2011 – 2012

The branch has held a number of events during the year. Canal Walk One of the highlights for the year has been supporting a group of local fund raisers in organising a canal walk which was held in May along the Shropshire Union Canal challenge in glorious sunshine. Over 200 walkers followed the route of the Shropshire Union Canal through the Cheshire countryside covering up to 17 miles. The event raised a staggering £22,000 for research. Committee members and their friends and family helped with the organisation of the event and took part. Garden Party In August the weather was kind to us and we held a garden party in the beautiful grounds of the home of branch secretary, Angela and her husband. A variety of stalls included a raffle, white elephant, tombola, cakes, homemade preserves and sweets, jewellery, skincare, make-up, children’s and adults knitted clothing, children’s toys, books and DVD’s. Children (and adults) took part in games on the main lawn including Beat the Goalie, Croquet, Boules, Play Your Cards Right, and Mr Jelly Bean circus skills. A BBQ was held in the Walled garden and also afternoon and cakes. A range of complimentary therapies were provided by Jo and Rosemary from Serendipity. Music on the Front lawn was provided by the Paul Jones Tribute band. A huge thank you to Angela, Graham and their family and friends for helping make

the garden party such a success. In total £1400 was raised

Big Band Night

The branch teamed up with Sandbach School Big Band and professional vocalist Matthew Ford to organise a joint fund raiser building on the fund raising success of both organisations. For the past 4 years Matthew Ford has performed at sell out concerts with the Sandbach School Big Band working alongside not only instrumentalists but also taking the opportunity to nurture some of the areas young vocal talent.

Matthew has fronted the legendary Syd Lawrence Orchestra for over 5 years and was nominated alongside Jamie Cullum and Ray Gelato for UK Male Singer of the Year’ in the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Awards. Since then he has fronted the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Big Band and appeared on the BBC Proms. The concert was organised by Sue Pickup, Carole Salmon and Jenny Sadler and was held at the Civic Hall in Nantwich. The event also included a silent auction, bottle tombola and disco and was a great success with nearly 200 tickets sold to branch members and parents from Sandbach School and raised £1500 for the branch and nearly £1000 for school to enable them to purchase some new equipment for the band. Other events held during the year included a Christmas market at the Ramada hotel

by the Rotary club; and a Balloon race at Richmond village.

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Shropshire Union Canal Walk

May 2012

Dennis’s family members

Mattthew Ford and the

Committee

Big Band Night October 2012

Garden Party

Hatherton Lodge

August 2012

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Acknowledgements Big Band Night Thank you to Matthew Ford and John Barber and the members of the Sandbach School Big Band and also to the the following supporters of the auction ; Bentley Motors Limited, Cheerbrook Quality Farm Food Ltd, Crewe Alex Football Club, Theartbay Fenton, Residence Restaurant, Nantwich, Helen Venables photography, Allan Leese and Jan Robinson, The Peacock, Hall Smith Whittingham, Nantwich Town FC. And to Sue, Jenny and Carole Salmon for organising the event. Branch Garden Party Angela and Graham, Committee members and family and friends Rosemary and Jo from Serendipity therapies Paul Jones tribute band Jelly Bean games Acknowledgements Margaret Fricker Vivian Ranson Carole Salmon Sue Hughes,Information Support Worker, for all the help given to local members. A number of members have been able to access information and help with benefits as a direct result of Sue’s support. Richmond Village, for fund raising from their balloon race. Collection tubs returned from : Mr & Mrs Jackson Carole’s slimming groups and also her dance groups Bartlett’s Jewellers, Nantwich

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Future Events for 2013

Crewe Branch Meetings

We have decided to try something different this year for the Crewe Branch Meetings

and have organised a number of subsidised lunches at a variety of locations. These

will be held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month starting at 12.30 on the following dates :

Date Location

19th February The Peacock

19th March Minshull’s Garden Centre

16th April TBC

21stMay Cronkinsons Farm Pub

18th June Aqueduct Marina

17th September TBC

15th October TBC

19th November TBC

7th December Christmas Meal

The following fund raising events have also been organised as follows:

16th July Afternoon Tea (location TBC)

26th November Frock Exchange (location TBC)

Winsford Meetings

These continue as before on the last Wednesday of the month at The Dingle Centre,

Winsford, 2 – 3.30pm

27th February The Dingle Centre – Social Event

27th March The Dingle Centre – Sue Hughes, Information

Support Worker

Young at Heart Group

These continue to meet on the 4th Thursday of the month at The Duke of Gloucester

Pub, from 7.30pm

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Merseyside & Cheshire Regional Neurological Alliance

Affiliated to

Merseyside and Cheshire Neurological Alliance

Invite Cheshire residents affected by a neurological condition to meet your MP and Mayor at this unique

networking event

Friday 15th February 2013

3.15pm - 5.30pm

St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice Grosvenor House

Queensway Winsford Cheshire CW7 1BH

If you would like to attend and help to raise awareness of living with a neurological condition with local and national decision makers, then please

register your interest by contacting:

Neurosupport Tel – 0151 298 2999

Or email [email protected]

When replying please leave your name, contact details, postcode, telephone number and email address (if available).

Please also state whether you are a wheelchair user.

Please note that places are limited and will be allocated in relation to MP’s attendance and to ensure that as many different conditions as possible are

represented. We cannot guarantee places for people who turn up on the day

Please register your interest as soon as possible and places

will be confirmed in January

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Contact Details

Local Branch – Crewe & District Branch

M: 07592554270

E: [email protected]

W: www.crewe-parkinsons.org.uk

Head Office – Parkinson’s UK

T - Free confidential helpline 0808 800 0303

W: www.parkinsons.org.uk

E: [email protected]

Charity No. 258197