Newsletter
Extracts from the March 2007 Newsletter
Opening Words from the Chairperson
Spring
Early Hawthorn blossom.
Hi Everyone.
We are now nearly into March and have been very lucky with the weather. Spring is in the air, with the bulbs coming out in flower and the mornings and evenings are much lighter which makes us all feel better.
At the January Social the Cantabile choir singing was very enjoyable, with wonderful songs, lots of effort and great talent. Thanks to all those who produced food for this. As usual it was a wonderful, tasty spread.
Our plans for this year are around raising awareness. Later in the year we will be holding another Nurse Study Day and at present we are producing Information Packs on Osteoporosis. These include plenty of information on osteoporosis and some about the local Group.
Thanks must go to Ken Eade for his hard work as Membership Secretary and Ellen Eade as contact for those people living with osteoporosis. As usual Ken and Ellen have been working hard in the background, despite being quite poorly.
Lastly, I have to mention, on a sad note, the death of Joan Parker. Joan has been a member of the Group for a long while, always giving support where she could. Our thoughts go out to Susan, her daughter, and all the family.
From our Chairperson, Jill Fysh
Nationally, The Good News #2
The National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) has been chosen by the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons to receive a £3 million donation to invest in a new mobile scanning service.
That was the exciting news in our last Newsletter. However, it feels as though we might have to wait quite a while for the chance of this coming our way. The Primary Care Trust (PCT) has to agree to pay for the scans. Considering the change in area covered by our PCT on 1 October 2006, and their financial problems, it is unlikely that they are going to consider doing this very quickly here in West Norfolk.
Information Folders
The King’s Lynn Committee has been very busily involved in producing information folders for people with, or at risk of, osteoporosis. A great deal of thought and hard work has gone into producing the folders, because we recognise that there is still a great need to provide as much information as possible to people, despite all the publicity that osteoporosis receives through various outlets.
We hope you will agree, that the folders look very professional and contain a great deal of information for people who are not aware of osteoporosis, and indeed, those who are. They have been printed for us by Lown & Capps Printers in King’s Lynn, and several of us have had great fun ‘stuffing them’ with the leaflets. With a team effort we were able to complete 250 of them in just over an hour - next stop the Marathon!
Edie has written to several consultants at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, including a sample of the folder and requesting that the folders be displayed in various areas of the hospital, particularly the Fracture Clinic. It is so important that people who sustain a low trauma fracture should be made aware that they could possibly have a low bone density and should, therefore, seek medical advice.
We have sent a copy of the folders to every GP Practice in our area and we intend to supply each one with more as requested. We shall also have them available at monthly meetings for people to take and pass on as appropriate. We hope to continue to increase the understanding of, and education with regard to, osteoporosis in our area, building on the work the Group has undertaken over the past 10 years. It is still vitally important to make as many people as possible aware of all aspects of the silent epidemic that affects so many.
Barbara Blacklock
Working with Children
Ros Harre has been busy liasing with local schools. One project is the Art Competition, encouraging younger children to learn the messages from the Healthy Bones Pack and to illustrate the message in painting or collage - any form is accepted. We have now received the entries and judging will take place shortly. The results will be announced in our next Newsletter.
The second project is more ambitious. John Braybrook, Head of Information Technology at Terrington St Clement Primary suggested he might work with his 10 year olds and encourage them to compile their own PowerPoint Presentation on osteoporosis. This would be written by 10 year olds for 10 year olds.
This has now been forwarded to the National Osteoporosis Society to make sure they are happy with the outcome, but your Committee thinks the children have put together a wonderful programme.
Hopefully we will be able to report more fully in our next issue, obtain some press coverage and be allowed to circulate the presentation throughout the Norfolk schools. It should also be available to show to members and use when giving talks to outside groups.
Groups & Volunteers Forum
Edith Finbow attended her second Forum meeting on 1st February, and as before, found this very useful and informative. Remember if you would like Edie to take your opinions and ideas forward, please contact her and she will gladly do this and report back to you. The next meeting is 3rd May.
As you will be aware, the National Osteoporosis Society is not happy with the proposed NICE Guidelines. If these are not modified, the NOS will be lodging a legal Appeal to ask for important changes. The problem is that Clinical Guidelines, when agreed, become mandatory for GPs in England and Wales. Unfortunately osteoporosis is not included in the GP contract, so does not become a priority for GPs and this is another area where the NOS is included in discussions.
Barbara Blacklock and Edie have put their names forward to answer questions and to talk to the press, radio, and anybody else who would like clarification on what these guidelines will mean if implemented.
Operations Strategy
An outside consultant, Susan Lacy, is looking at the way the NOS is organised - in particular at the way the local Groups Network slots in to future plans, and how they work with Head Office.
The Groups contribute in so many different ways, and yet Group members often do not feel part of the National ‘family’. The idea is to make all parts of the National Society aware of the work undertaken across the country and to dispel any feelings of ‘us and them’ that may linger in the Groups themselves.
In other words, everyone works more effectively if they feel appreciated and valued as part of the whole.
At a conservative estimate the King’s Lynn Group contributes 60 volunteer hours of unpaid work per month. As well as Group and Committee meetings, plus outside meetings, this unpaid work includes talking to people with osteoporosis, lobbying health professionals, working with children, holding Roadshows and arranging exhibitions, plus talking to WIs and other Groups about the importance of prevention, diagnosis and treatments for osteoporosis. It also involves keeping the finances in good order. We have good links with the local press and have copy in the local paper at least once a month. We also have a large number of local contacts. All this would be impossible and very costly to provide from a distance.
Over our 10 years, we have also raised nearly £23,000, sent to Head Office for the Nurses’ Helpline, General running expenses, Operations Department, Audit Nurses and Research, as well as raising a considerable amount for local services.
Every other Group in the country is doing similar work, however large or small the number of committed volunteers. That said, of course, we could not operate without the support of Head Office.
Membership fees for the National Society are being discussed, and the Forum spent some time talking about the valuable links Groups have with Head Office and the ones they would particularly miss if these were no longer offered. Obviously the Groups Office (Operations Department) and Finance are the main ones, but also Fund-raising, IT support, Media (how to work most successfully with press and radio, Education, Leaflets, Policy and advice on lobbying.
The Forum suggested more regional links would be appreciated. When the number of Regional Co-ordinators was cut from 10 to 5, this gave local Groups a definite sense of isolation. If we have a contact so far away we don’t want to trouble them, it is easy to feel very much ‘on ones own’ and far away from all the services provided at Head Office.
If you have a view, please let Edie know and she will pass it on.
Low Body Weight Can Affect Bone Health
Excessive dieting and severe loss of weight in women leads to a low level of the female hormone oestrogen in the blood, which interferes with bone health, NOS reports. There is a concern that women with eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa, may lose their menstrual periods and put themselves at risk of developing osteoporosis. There is so much in the press at the moment about very thin models influencing young women that we must have concern for their bones as they get older.
For women, the 1 in 6 lifetime risk of sustaining a hip fracture is greater than the 1 in 9 risk of developing breast cancer.
Too Much Salt Could Affect Bone Health
A diet high in salt could put you at risk of breaking a bone, NOS reports. Calcium in the diet is important for strong, healthy bones as we know. Research has shown that a high salt intake causes an increase in the amount of calcium lost in urine. Also, the effect of salt on blood pressure may be responsible for speeding up the body’s loss of calcium.
The combined cost of hospital and social care for patients with a hip fracture amounts to nearly the same bill for the NHS as coronary heart disease.
Forthcoming Fund-raising Events
See our Diary Dates for a comprehensive list.
Recent Group Events
A Trek to Mount Kilimanjaro | November 2006
Annette Croote came to talk to the Group about her challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support.
Annette started taking part in these challenges after reading an article in the Citizen. The first year she took part in a 100k trek across the Sahara. Next year she plans to walk the Great Wall of China. Each year she plans to undertake a different extreme challenge - for as long as she is able.
Mount Kilimanjaro is 3° south of the Equator, 19,340 feet high and the highest point in the African continent. It was first climbed in 1889 and Annette’s photographs showed clearly why this is called an ‘extreme challenge’ - something most of us could only dream of doing. Obviously she had to train as much as possible beforehand, but climbing mountains in flat Norfolk is not easy. She did find it exhausting but also a wonderful experience.
As a matter of interest, the National Osteoporosis Society also takes part in these extreme challenges, and the Great Wall of China is one of them.
Annette’s presentation opened a window on a different world for us and we wish her well with her next challenge. She and the group she went with raised £127,795 for MacMillan Cancer Support. Hopefully, she will come back to tell us about another challenge in the future.
Craft Fair November 2006
We had a stall at the Craft Fair held at the Gaywood Church Rooms. The event was organised by the South Wootton WI. There was soup, bread rolls, tea and coffee and a large number of different craft stalls.
The whole event was well organised and publicised, and the room was full of stallholders. But unfortunately the heavens opened, and the torrential rain kept the public away. This meant nobody sold as much as they had hoped. We made a profit of £126. If anyone is interested in buying a scarf, there is still plentiful stock (01553 773309)! Our grateful thanks to all those who helped.
Our Social January 2007
Every year we hold this Social to thank those who have helped us over the past twelve months. This year, the entertainment was provided by Pat Pressling and Cantabile, previously known as the West Winch Youth Choir.
The young people sang well, with two girls singing solos, and the variety made up a very good programme.
The choir has travelled extensively in Wales, Germany, Holland, Austria and America. On April 2nd this year they are going to Norfolk, Virginia, USA at the invitation of the Sister City Association, as part of the 400th Anniversary of Jamestown celebrations. However, rising airport taxation and coach hire prices have led to the choir asking for financial help for the first time in its 34 year existence. We were happy to help in a small way.
On the theme of the Jamestown celebrations, Heacham is planning a summer of special events to mark this 400th anniversary, as well. This will highlight the village’s role in the success of North America’s first permanent English settlement.
Village son John Rolfe set sail for America in 1609 and two years later the settlement was founded. Thanks to his experiments with tobacco cultivation and marriage to the legendary Pocohontas, Jamestown thrived. The celebrations begin in May and continue into July. Included are a heritage Walk, play, flower festival and pageant. It should be very interesting. You can find out more about what’s planned by phoning 01485 572142 or by visiting www.heacham-on-line.co.uk.
Information Table
When you come to the next Group meeting, don’t forget to look at the Information Table in the hall. Barbara Blacklock, our Nurse Adviser, makes sure up-to-date articles and back copies of Osteoporosis News are displayed.
This month’s Osteoporosis News articles are on:
- NICE Guidelines
- Osteoporosis in men
- Different kinds of treatment and non-compliance
- New drugs
- The robot that swims up your spine to take pictures of your fractures
- The drugs that last five years.
In Osteoporosis News books are reviewed on subjects relating to osteoporosis. Two that look interesting are Your Genes Unzipped and Living with long-term illness: the facts.
There’s a great deal of information in Osteoporosis News. Take a look. See what you are missing if you’re not a member of the National Osteoporosis Society.
If you would be interested in borrowing these books or if you are unable to attend meetings and would like copies of these articles, please let us know.
