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ALL CHANGE! After 25 year’s sterling service, whereby a small celebration on the anniversary was held at the Unit, Aileen has decided to retire. We give our unreserved thanks to Aileen for all her hard work and dedication, many many times over and beyond the call of duty! Wish her all the very best for the future. She will certainly be missed! As well as Aileen retiring, Carole will be reducing her hours and a whole new staffing structure will be put in place to meet current needs while running the Centre at maximum efficiency and maintaining the happy, friendly atmosphere we all enjoy and value so much. Since 1982 there have been vast changes globally, nationally and locally. Our culture, expectations, education opportunities, spending power and standards of living have all evolved – and so has our Centre and the accountability required from charities! Along with the increased paperwork, we have continued to grow and expand year on year, getting busier and busier and happily have almost always achieved meeting this demand. Lately, this has become more difficult and we have struggled to reduce, far less eradicate, our waiting list. (At time of writing we have 9 people with MS waiting to start HBO and 16 people with other conditions) To assist this process, it is imperative that all members are solely responsible for booking their sessions in the chamber and cancelling pre-booked sessions as soon as they know they cannot attend. It is not reasonable to expect the Chamber Operator to accept this responsibility. After much deliberation it was decided that as we now have the luxury of a medical advisor, Specialist MS Nurses on tap and a volunteer able to provide benefits advice... a Centre Manager with relevant ‘people’ experience would be the best way forward. We were fortunate enough to find Steve to fill this new post. He will start Tuesday 9th November. Steve (Millar) has worked within the Police Force for some 30 years attaining the rank of Inspector. He has a strong managerial record but is a very caring person who has also been involved in dealing with vulnerable individuals requiring sensitivity, diplomacy and confidentiality – all qualities required for this position. Steve will undergo a training period encompassing shadowing Aileen, the MS Nurses, visiting other Centres, undertaking relevant courses being trained to operate the Chamber and most importantly.. getting to know you all. The Committee asks that you give Steve your support to make this transition as speedy and positive as possible to profit from the long-term benefits. |
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ENGAGING TALE! Sunita, our physiotherapist, moved into a new house and got engaged all in the same day. She is now proudly sporting a beautiful ring and huge grin. Our best wishes for the future go to her and her fiancé George. |
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OVERWHELMED BY APATHY! Our Annual General Meeting is held annually in April and all Members receive an invitation to attend along with all relevant information and documentation. For the Meeting to progress we need to achieve a quorum of 13 people attending and this year, despite the added attraction of a cheese and wine afterwards – which was very enjoyable - the attendance was so poor we only just made it. To arrange another time and date is a costly exercise and shows little appreciation for the Committee and all their hard work in ensuring the Centre is run efficiently and properly, complying with all relevant legislation requirements and striving to keep our head above water financially. It would be greatly appreciated if as many members as possible were able to attend next year to ensure the quorum is easily achieved and hopefully overshot! |
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We also had a very disappointing response to the request for assistance in preparing the Centre for the refurbishment which took place in September. As a self-help unit it would be nice if more members could have contributed in some way but sincere thanks to those who did help, you know who you are! Without your assistance, the refurb team, which included fully qualified tradesmen, their friends & family, would not have managed to do the magnificent job they have done for us. Our thanks to Enterprise North East Trust for our lovely fresh, clean Units. They provided all materials, furnishings and time at absolutely no cost to us whatsoever. The mammoth task was completed in 48hrs! |
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VOLUNTEER’S NIGHT Our Volunteers Evening was held during Volunteers Week at the beginning of June and was very successful. We started with a generous finger buffet and wine when everyone mixed and mingled and generally socialised. This was followed by a short talk on Aromatherapy given by Liz Jenkins including willing audience participation which was very well received. It is the intention to raise awareness of all therapies services offered at the Centre and all who attended certainly now fully appreciate the benefits Aromatherapy can provide. A small free raffle ended the evening. |
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KEY OF THE DOOR Most public disabled toilets are operated by Radar keys. Cost approx £3.50 ex VAT. You can purchase your own key from: Phone: 020 7250 3222 - Fax: 020 7250 0212 - email: radar@radar.org.uk. Post: RADAR: 12 City Forum, 250 City Road, London, EC1V 8AF. Having your own key = independence. If you have internet access there are a variety of sites selling them, possibly cheaper. |
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FUNDRAISING OR INCREASED COSTS! Mary Archibald our Committee Member who has been in charge of fundraising for many years has retired from this post and we would be delighted to hear from anyone willing to be part of or organise/run a fundraising group. Alternatively anyone wishing to organise a fundraising event will be actively encouraged to do so. Excuse the pun - but we really cannot run on air and if the fundraising dries up then the costs will have to be increased. Meanwhile we are extremely grateful to those of you who do participate in many and varied fundraising activities and so far have managed to keep our potty boiling – THANK YOU! |
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EASY FUNDRAISING Our thanks go to everyone who has purchased goods via easyfundraising.org.uk. Your efforts have raised approx £150 for the Unit. If you haven’t used this site before and you purchase via the internet, it couldn’t be easier and costs you not a penny extra. Just log into easyfundraising. Most high street stores and so many more outlets are there. Make your purchase then select mstherapytayside as your charity. Job done... we get a % of all sales. |
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INTERESTING FACTS
Your thumb is the same length as your nose. |
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SKIPPING ALONG! Prior to the refurbishment, at some expense, we hired a skip to offload a lot of unsellable goods. While it is not our intention to offend anyone who is kind enough to donate goods to sell, please ask if: why are you getting rid of it, is it something you would give to a friend, is it something you would appreciate receiving? before you do donate items – especially the larger goods as we are really pushed for space. The wherewithal to dispose of same if no-one is interested proves problematic/costly. Far better to put a For Sale notice on the board for larger items and please do remember NOTHING with an electric plug, which we must disregard and not even attempt to sell! Meanwhile, the sellable items prove to be a nice wee fundraiser, thank you so much. |
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HOME SAFETY Did you know that your local fire men will visit your home and give you fire safety advice? They will run through a questionnaire of basic safety questions relevant to you and your home and check your smoke/fire detectors. If you haven’t already done so, please use this community service....it saves lives! |
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The Brae Riding Ability Centre Hi! My name is Moira Samuel, at present I attend Peddie Street every Tuesday, making use of all the facilities it offers – physiotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen, aromatherapy etc. I have attended for many years through relapsing remitting MS and now have secondary progressive MS and am confined to a wheelchair. Although severely disabled I attempt to make the most of what I’m still able to participate in. This includes my visits to the Riding Ability Centre, formerly Riding for the Disabled at their purpose-built stable at Broughty Ferry behind Clearwater Estates and Lintrathen Neuro Disability Centre. I very much appreciate the help and support given to me on my weekly sessions assisted by Mary Sneddon the centre administrator, Yvonne and Janet, physiotherapists and a multitude of volunteers who are worth their weight in gold! I would be the first to admit that my riding ability is nothing like it was in pre-MS days when I rode bare-back, galloped, jumped and rode for miles on outdoor treks. It is however a superb feeling to be on horseback and it works wonders for my muscle tone to be able to sit upright unsupported on a moving animal – normally without falling off! aided by the people around me. My carers at home are amazed by the improvement in my muscle ability following my horse riding. The Riding Ability Centre was 12 years in the planning and cost in excess of half a million pounds to build, it costs £3 – 4,000 to buy a horse and £1,500 a year for upkeep of a single horse. Yvonne and Janet are more than willing to visit the unit and speak to anyone who may be interested in participating as I do. Please contact the unit to express any interest. Thanks to Moira for this article, have you any such article you would like to share? This is what the newsletter is about! |
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MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS-THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE... Is a recently released book delivering a clear and easy to understand info to the newly diagnosed, family and friends who want to know more about MS. From symptoms, diagnosis and research, to relapses, relationships and practicalities are issues covered. It is a paperback, cost £8.99, website www.need2knowbooks.co.uk |
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MS SOCIETY HELPLINE
Freephone Helpline number 0808 800 8000, Helpline email service
helpline@mssociety.org.uk
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Views expressed in this Newsletter are individual and cannot necessarily be endorsed by M S Therapy (Tayside)Ltd |