West Somerset
Disability Association

Hello everyone!

The next meeting is in the Seahorse Centre on Monday 26th July 2010 at 2.00 pm.  There is no meeting in August so the following one will be at the end of September on the 27th.  As usual, sign the attendance book and if you visit The Seahorse Centre at other times sign in at Reception and wear a visitor badge.  There is no smoking allowed inside or in the vicinity of the building.

Our address:

The Seahorse Centre, Stephenson Road, Minehead, TA24 5EB

Chairman: Terry Venner,

Martin Greenwood, Peter Hughes, Peter and Heidi Morse, Susan Horne.

If you cannot access other transport you can register with Atwest community transport 01643 707090 and use the SLINKY bus to come to meetings.  You must have a bus pass.

PLEASE HELP US TO HELP YOU!!!  Transport queries about outings should be addressed to the Events Committee.

Chairman: David Kendall 01643 863505

Secretary Margaret Bruford 01984 656367

Accts/Treasurer: Molly Newstead 01984 634739

Shirley Williams 01984 632265

Sandra Kendall 01643 863505

IT Tutor: Chris Brinkman 07719 376097 (NB: new number)

Seahorse Centre : IT room 01643 702021 or 07719 376097 (Tuesday and Thursday mornings, all day Wednesday)

Messages (Reception) 01643 705000

E-mail: wsomersetdisability@tiscali.co.uk or wsomersetdisability@yahoo.co.uk

Web Site: www.westsomersetdisability.org.uk

The newsletter is also on our website with news of our activities and forthcoming events

Please tell us your e-mail if you have one, as an e-mailed newsletter is free but we must pay to post them.  Help us to help you!

Limited Computer training at the IT centre is continuing for the future.  It is being funded differently from before, which makes it possible to carry on.  If you would like computer training, please let us know or talk to Chris our IT instructor.  You must be an active member of our association, which costs £10.00 per annum, (i.e. come to meetings and/or some of the activities which we arrange,) before you can have lessons, which cost £2.00 per hour, payable monthly in advance and non-refundable.  There are regular classes on Tuesday afternoons, Wednesday mornings and Thursday mornings.

If anyone has a problem with their computer at home and would like help from Chris, he will tell the committee of the problem and they will then decide what to do.

Hello Everybody

Sorry that this newsletter is a bit late.  I have not go any good reason for this other than the weather has been great and I have spent a lot of time in the garden and up my allotment.  Some of you know that my grandson (Greg) has been in Afghanistan for the last six mouths and has just returned with a few hair-raising tales, so both San and I are glad that is over.

On Tuesday some of you came over to Porlock for dinner at Healeys so I hope that you all enjoyed it, and we may be able to do that again some time.  On Monday we have our next meeting at the Seahorse Centre.  Sorry but I will not be there as we are going away for five days.

David Kendall

davidalbertkendall@yahoo.co.uk

As I think all of you know the IT Room has been taken over completely by The Seahorse administration as from the 1st of April this year.  With their agreement, our members will still be able to use the computers and continue their lessons with Chris Brinkman at a cost to them of £2.00 per hour the rest to be paid by the group while funds remain.

At the end of our responsibility for the IT we held a small party to say thank you to both Chris and Mary Court as they have both done sterling service in the past.  Chris was presented with travel vouchers and Mary with a basket of flowers.  Photographs of the presentation are printed here.

I am sure you were all pleased to see Jean Gilbert and Dorothy Lloyd two of our past chairpersons at our meeting and hope that they will come again.

I am copying the last communication received from A.T. West this in particular refers to your bus passes.  As I read it if you do not carry them you will be charged at various rates according to the distance that you travel.  This to my mind is now becoming a business and no longer a service for the aged and disabled.  We seem to be missing out on the free Bus Pass Scheme.  You will also notice that the bus pass will be in operation for the rest of the year, does this mean that the passes are now suspect and may be removed from us?

We have been in discussion with Seahorse representatives and may in the future be able to hire one of their buses with David Kendall being approved to drive this should enable us to go out more often without having to rely on A.T. West.

The first of our trips has been made to Healeys at Porlock for lunch and it looks like most of our members are taking part.  The last time we had lunch with them it consisted of a Roast Dinner with extras if required and a sweet, a glass of wine with coffee to finish.  All very enjoyable.

Last week your committee visited The Council at Williton at the request of Tom Bown and Sam Rawle (both these people have visited us at the Seahorse on our Monday meetings so I think you will both remember them) to discuss any problems that any of our members may encounter so please do pass on any difficulties that you may find on the roads in your streets or home to one of the committee members and we will pass on the information.  Remember we are still here to help you and will endeavour to sort out your problems, or find someone who can.

Please contribute to the Newsletter I am sure some you will have something to say.  All suggestions for events or the furtherance of the group will be gratefully accepted.  If any of you have friends or neighbours that would be interested in joining the group please invite them.

Gossip has just come to the committee’s ears that complaints have been made about there being no one to make our teas at the last meeting, our Lady Volunteers were unfortunately unable to attend so therefore David took over and the few that were at the meeting seemed quite happy at the time.  Please take your complaints to your committee.

People requiring cars to go to the hospital now have to be on pension credit or any other benefits, proof of these are required by Hospital Transport at Bridgwater and this is taking about two weeks to arrange – so beware and make your requirements known as soon as you get your appointment.

Molly Newstead

Sandra Kendall 01643 863505, Shirley Williams 01984 632265.

Future events:  Suggestions for future events would be very welcome and will give the committee something to work on.