Newsletter
Extracts from the September 2008 Newsletter
Opening Words from the Chairperson
Hi Everyone.
Where was the summer this year? We are now into autumn with the leaves falling and I, for one, am not looking forward to the cold winter weather.
It was a busy period for us in July. The Quiz was a great success. My thanks go to Jeff Hoyle for all the hard work he has to put into this.
Coffee Morning… well it rained everyday before this. I was in a panic, as usual. John had to put up awnings all over the garden. It was hard work. My thanks go to him for all the support he gives to our group. Everyone turned up with cakes, plants and books. It was a wonderful turnout. Thanks to everybody who baked cakes and brought everything. We raised nearly £400.
I have to thank the Committee. Without their help with events we couldn’t do any of this.
Sandringham Flower Show (Wednesday 30 July 2008) – we were lucky again this year to meet Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall. The Duchess wanted to know if we had got any further with our services in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Yet again, I had to say we were no further than last year! She was very concerned about this.
We have been given two large donations by friends of mine. One was from an 80th birthday party, £400, the other from a joint 60th and 70th birthday party, £500. These were so generous and will be given with the rest of the money we have raised this year, for research. I thank them so much for their contribution.
On a sad note, our President, Peggy Spencer, has been ill for a few months now. She was very sorry to have missed so many of our events. She has always been such a good support to us as a group, and friend. She has also been in hospital. My love goes to you, Peggy. We wish you a speedy recovery and hope that you will be back with us soon.
I look forward to seeing you all at the Group meetings.
Best wishes.
From our Chairperson, Jill Fysh
November Social Reminder
As usual we will be providing a buffet at our November Social (Thursday 27th November 2008, London Road Methodist Hall, County Court Road, King’s Lynn) and we hope all our members will contribute to this – as you always do.
A list will be available at the September and October meetings for you to indicate what you would like to bring.
Do bring a friend with you I am sure they will enjoy the evening as well… and they may think we are so wonderful that they will continue to support us!
Groups & Volunteers Forum, August 2008
The decisions on future plans for the Forum have been delayed until October. My personal thanks to all my Groups who responded – 9 out of the 11 in the Eastern Region. Voicing your opinion is so important. The NOS does listen to the views of its members.
Chief Executive Claire Severgnini, four Development Managers and Janine Chandler, one of the new Trustees, attended the August meeting. Janine ran a session on Organisational values and also answered many questions on the new leaflets that are being produced.
Claire outlined the NOS draft Strategic Plan for 2009–2013. I have a copy of her presentation if you would like to see it. The Vision is a future without fragility fractures. The main headings are Awareness, Influence, Support and Advice, Research and Effective Organisation.
An excellent document, in my view. Full of good ideas. The general trend seems to be working in partnership, with:
- staff and groups
- health and social care providers and commissioners
- the media and
- the Research Council.
Points I particularly noticed:
- Awareness – running an annual organisation-wide positive campaign around a key theme.
- Influence – generate the funds to launch new fracture liaison services, where they don’t already exist.
- Support & Advice – recruit a national network of osteoporosis nurses who will work with people with osteoporosis and healthcare professionals to improve access to and availability of local services.
- Research – move the charity to a position where it becomes the leading source of independent comment on cutting-edge developments in science and technology, e.g. genetic pre-disposition.
- Effective Organisation – make the best use possible of every pound we raise.
It was good to be able to meet and talk to Claire Severgnini and to Janine Chandler, as well as meeting the other Forum members. Also it was very interesting to hear the very many views brought back to the discussion table.
Edith Finbow, Secretary
NOS Members' Day and AGM
This year, the Members’ Day (7th July 2008) was a wonderful event, free, and at an excellent venue. The large Novotel London West Hotel in Hammersmith, London was packed and it was an opportunity, not only to meet up with some friends who belong to local Groups, but also to meet some of the members who belong to the NOS but prefer not, or are too busy, to join those Groups.
The speakers were very clear and interesting. Roger Francis, Professor of Geriatric Medicine, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne gave the Medical Update.
Simon Hanna, Clinical Exercise Specialist from Cambridge encouraged us all to take part in specially developed exercises using Therabands (bands often used in resistance training. I have some more information about these if anybody is interested. This was hilarious.
The Annual General Meeting took place at 11:45 AM, followed by a sandwich lunch.
In the afternoon there were talks on Vertebral Compression Fractures - dealing with pain and problems, by Kirsty Carne and Julia Thomson, Osteoporosis Nurse Helpline, NOS; Making Sense of Tests and Testing, by Richard Eastell, Professor of Bone Metabolism, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield; then Osteoporosis and Nutrition, Sue Lanham-New, Reader in Nutrition, University of Surrey.
An excellent day and exceedingly well run. I was proud to be a member of the National Osteoporosis Society.
Edith Finbow, Secretary
Forthcoming Fund-raising Events
See our Diary Dates for a comprehensive list.
All group meetings are held at the London Road Methodist Hall, County Court Road, King’s Lynn, and start at 7.30 PM, unless otherwise stated (map and directions). Everyone is welcome. Entry is free for members, and costs £1.50 for visitors.
Recent Group Events
May 2008
Thanks to all our friends that came to join us for the May meeting. We knew we had to have over 50 people attending to justify the speaker coming to see us from the Midlands.
The speaker, Annie Hartwright used to be our Regional Co-ordinator, helping establish the Group in 1996, so it was great to see her again. As well as updating us on the progress of the National Osteoporosis Society she would always give us a wonderful cookery demonstration but, due to current health and hygiene regulations this is no longer allowed.
Annie was speaking about Sugar and Spice as she is working for Billington’s and Allinson and covers most of the West of England and Wales talking about the value of using really good ingredients in your cooking.
The history of Allinson’s Flour is very interesting. Dr Thomas Allinson, 1858 – 1918, a GP, became interested in Naturopathy and the value of wholemeal products. He began advocating healthy eating and by 1892 had opened his first bakery. As he was making a profit from this venture he was struck off the Medical Register. The main mill is now in Bishop Stortford.
Billington’s have been importing sugar for over 140 years and are now Europe’s leading suppliers of unrefined cane sugars. Billington’s have recently merged with Allinson’s as they both have a similar outlook. Anybody wanting to find recipes including these ingredients can find them at the Baking Mad website.
Annie’s talks are always fun. She brought everyone a ‘goodie bag’ and it was wonderful to see her again after so many years and to catch up with her own news.
June
Again over 50 people attended the meeting, to hear our Medical Adviser, Dr Norman Williams. He travels from Peterborough without complaint – or charge – and has done so since we started.
This year Dr Williams was talking about the fact that GPs, rather than dealing with illness, as most people think, are rather defining the borders or range of normal
.
His main theme: as long as you’re living you can do something about your bones
. Bone is living and throughout life new bone is being made and old bone is breaking down. As a 20 year old, bone is turned over at about 20% per year but by 90 bone turnover is slower at perhaps 5 to 7% per year. However, as long as that is happening, although bones are getting a bit thin there is still the possibility of tipping the balance and, with treatment, making bones stronger. Prescribed treatments considerably restore strength in bone.
Diet is important, protein as well as calcium is necessary to make a strong skeleton – particularly as you get older. Also weight bearing exercise, and anything that helps a person maintain good balance, is necessary to prevent falls.
Dr Willliams stayed to answer personal questions about different treatments and we are very grateful to him for his continued support.
July
The speaker for this meeting was David Bird, who came to tell members about his life and how his facial disfigurement had led him to contact James Partridge, the founder of the charity, Changing Faces.
David was born with a disability that affected the right side of his head. He was the middle son of Gwen and Frank Bird, living on a small farm in the Breckland area of Norfolk.
Living in a small village within a close, loving family, he was accepted for who he was. Nobody took any particular notice of his disfigurement and he was a very happy child. Unfortunately, when David was 8 or 9 he had an accident at school. He was hit in the eye by a baseball bat.
Nothing could be done at the time but subsequently he was referred to Moorfield’s Eye Hospital in London. Over the following 40 years David had 16 operations.
As David was growing up, the family first moved to a larger village and then to King’s Lynn, where as people did not know David so well, despite him being very friendly and outgoing David found people staring at him, laughing and calling names.
This was a difficult time but his strong character carried him through. He obtained a job despite his disability and eventually married Mandy and she and David had their daughter, Lindsay, in 1991.
In 1997 David was asked by his surgeon at Moorfield’s to meet a Chinese lad who was experiencing problems coping with disfigurement. The family met him, invited him to stay for a holiday in Norfolk and found out about the work of Changing Faces.
David became involved with the charity and is part of their poster campaign, seeing himself on huge posters on the London Underground. He now goes round to groups giving talks, making people aware of the issues facing people ‘who look a bit different’.
An inspiring speaker.
Annual Quiz
Another successful event thanks to all the hard work behind the scenes. Special thanks go to Jeff Hoyle who has set the questions for 7 years now. This was our tenth quiz.
As it is now a well established, fun evening, and has its own following of loyal supporters. Next year only those who have taken part over the last three years will be approached to maximise profit. Extending our introductory letter list does not seem to bring in different people, so if you know of new people who would like any information please pass their names on to the Secretary.
This year the profit was £546 and much of the money was raised on the raffle. There were 28 teams taking part and the money raised will be going towards research.
Coffee Morning
Our thanks go to Jill and John Fysh for inviting us into their home again and for all their hard work. So much is done before and after an event that is never seen by those attending. Also thanks to those who made and donated cakes, and those who made and served the coffee.
This Coffee Morning is an informal way of meeting friends, enjoying a variety of wonderful scones with strawberries and cream and cakes, and raising money too.
If we can persuade Jill to ‘invite’ us again next year, try to come along. It’s a really good morning.
Sandringham Flower Show
A very hot day but this was our opportunity to talk to HRH the Duchess of Cornwall and HRH Prince Charles.
As usual the Duchess asked how the Group was progressing and Jill was able to tell her about the things we had undertaken over the year but that we still have no service for people with osteoporosis in King’s Lynn and the surrounding area. Patients rely totally on their GPs.
The Duchess, who is always very interested in the Group’s work said she would support our campaign to improve local services and called over her lady-in-waiting to make a note of this.
