West Somerset
Disability Association

Hello everyone!  Christmas is coming!!  I hope you have an enjoyable holiday.  The next meeting will be in the New Year on Monday 28th January at 2.00 pm.  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
West Somerset Disability Association Trustees
Martin Greenwood; Peter and Heidi Morse; Sue Horne; Tim Poat; Terry Venner; Una Wright.
 
Transport
If you booked to come by taxi to the monthly WSDA meeting and you can’t make it, can you PLEASE RING DAVE WILLETT, who organises this transport, to cancel it.  PLEASE HELP US TO HELP YOU!!!  Transport queries about outings should be addressed to the Events Committee. 

Useful Telephone Numbers
West Somerset Disability Association Committee Members
President:  Jean Gilbert  01984 641197
Chairman:  Gordon Wright  01643 703970
Vice Chairman: Mary Court   01643 702129
Secretary:  Molly Newstead  01984 634739
Treasurer:  David Kendall  01643 863505
Transport for the monthly WSDA meeting only:
   David Willett  01643 708592
Members’ Representatives:
 (Minutes) Marlene Saunders 01643 702972
(Welfare) Margaret Bruford  01984 656367
Events Committee:

   Peter Kilner  01643 821464
   Sylvia Griffiths  01643 704637
IT Tutor   Chris Brinkman  01643 708025 Mobile 07971 285878
Seahorse Centre IT room   01643 702021 or 07971 285878
   Messages (Reception) 01643 705000
E-mail: wsomersetdisability@tiscali.co.uk
Web Site: www.westsomersetdisability.org.uk
Computers
You can see the newsletter on our website as well as news of our recent activities and forthcoming events.  Please give us your e-mail address if you have one, as an e-mailed newsletter is free to send but we have to pay to post them to you.  Please help us to help you!
If you would like some computer training, please let one of the committee members know or talk to Chris our IT instructor.  You must be a member of our association (£6.00 per annum) before you can have lessons, which cost £2.00 per hour.  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.
Disability Advocate
The service is provided by A4e (0800 288 8712).  They are based at A4e, 2nd Floor, Victoria House, Victoria Street, Taunton, Somerset TA1 3JZ. The A4e website is www.a4e.gov.uk.  The service will offer help if you need assistance with care arrangements, equipment, housing, blue badges, etc. 

Chairman’s Report
When you read this, I will have been your chairman for a month and have done very little on your behalf due to prearranged holidays and other commitments during that period.   So I thought I would take the opportunity to say a few things about your organization, its officers and committees before I have any chance to influence matters in any way.
During my wanderings around this country over the last 10 years and during my and Una’s failing mobility I have seen a lot of good work being done for the less able, mainly in the larger towns and cities.  But in the smaller places very little is provided in the way of help and assistance.
West Somerset is one of the exceptions and it is through the work that your committee does for you that your lives are made a little easier.  You know where to go for services and help and if you don’t, you know who to ask to find out for you.
This information and the details given do not just happen to be there, it takes work, time and effort by your various committee members to obtain it for you and please remember they like you are also sufferers in one way or another.  It is on your behalf I thank them for the work they have done to date and hope that they will feel able to continue their good works for the foreseeable future.
I have joined them to repay some of the help Una and I have received and to help continue the good work they have done.
Remember they need your support as well.
Gordon Wright

Treasurer’s Report
The raffle raised £51 this month at the monthly meeting.

Events’ Committee Report
Just a few words about the meeting at the end of last month.  We had a very interesting talk from Chris Adams, Stephen Elliott’s nephew, who is the retired head of Minehead Parks Department.  His subject was Gardening for the Disabled, which provoked a good deal of questions and enthusiasm.
The Events’ Committee is in transition at the moment.  The old committee of Sandra and Shirley is finishing; their last organised event being the Christmas lunch on December 5th at Williton.  There is some uncertainty about the new committee.
There is a shopping trip to ASDA in Taunton on December 11th.  Pick up from The Seahorse Centre at 9.30, or Carhampton Main Road, Williton (Gliddons) and Crowcombe car park only.  Back at The Seahorse Centre by 2.45.  Further details from Jean at 01984 641197.
There is a trip to Puriton to see the Irish singer, Curtis McGee, on Saturday December 15th.  A bus has been booked.  (Contact Sylvia for more details.  01643 704637)
A visit to the pantomime in January may be organised and there are possible trips to Bristol to the theatre next year.  Contact one of the Committee members for more details.
Peter wrote:
Opportunity comes knocking at the door for us to fundraise.  Do we open it and take the opportunity or not?  No matter how crazy or silly the ideas we have for fundraising, these days anything can be sponsored, so if you think of an idea, why not share it with us so we can act on it.
I’m getting up a few things for spring, to fundraise.  This is in the works, as I have to find out if we can get the field and hall for the same day but I will tell more about this in January.
There is a Christmas market, at Carhampton on Sunday, December 9th, from 10.00 till 4.00.  Maybe the West Somerset Disability Association could man a table to sell things and raise money for our association.
Peter Kilner 

Poets’ Corner 

DELHI CHRISTMAS

In hotel lobbies skinny Christmas trees
rest on beds of egg-white satin

hold blunt finger-strips of cotton wool.
Santa gestures like a tour leader

next to log cabin, jewelled caravan.
Piano and cello send incessant jingle Bells

into the costly international atmosphere.
And the Times of India hosts recipes

For ‘ginger hut’ and marzipan.
Inhabitants of silent corridors - the workers

Murmur Merry Christmas, nod and smile.
Fierce air-conditioning creates a winter chill.

Sunbathers, indolent, line the swimming pool,
while England floats contained, so far away

like a glass-domed scene with shaken snow.
Cliff-like in the cool night air

Eastern hotels tap lightly into Christmas.
English couples talk of cats in Abingdon.
Written by Moniza Alvi
Copied by Stephen Brinkman

This verse was written by a boy who is only eleven years old, His teacher asked the class to write a poem about what they thought Remembrance Day was all about.

My Poppy Poem

R is for Remembrance Sunday,
E is for every soldier that sacrificed his life.
M is for money that we donate to help.
E is for enemies that our soldiers fought.
M is for memories of our relatives who died.
B is for blood that many soldiers saw.
E is for everyone who should wear a Poppy.
R is to “Remember those who died”.

  ……………………
Written by Taylor McLean.

Contributed by Len Cross.

Articles, letters and e-mails

News of Members
Muriel Seabrooke
As most of you will have heard that Muriel Seabrooke has had a slight stroke and was taken to Dunkery ward in Musgrove hospital. I visited her the next day to find that she was overwhelmed with attention with 3 Doctors and 2 Physiotherapists.
However she has now been transferred to Williton Hospital and is recovering very well and have been to see her twice, but as of Friday 30th there is no indication of her returning home yet.  She has received a lot of cards and has asked me to convey her thanks to the WSDA for the one from them.     
From Richard Charity
Clarice Brinkman
Clarice recently had a spell in Minehead hospital.  She celebrated her 89th birthday with most of her children present for the day in the middle of November.  Unfortunately since then she has been fairly unwell, spending most of the day in bed.  She has a lot of help from Steve and now she has additional help with personal care, mornings and evenings, which is making life a little easier for her.
Chris Brinkman

For Sale
Roma Scooter, indoor or outdoor  use, 21 stone weight limit, still under 2 year guarantee.  £500 ono.
Please ring 01984 639119
2 x Knitting Machines:  Singer L K 100 good condition.  Empire-Knitmaster MOD250.  £20.00 or near offer.  01643 702129

Equipment on offer
The WSDA have also been given the following items of equipment, which we can pass on to anyone who wants them in exchange for a donation to our funds.
· Dell Keyboard
· Scanner (Simplex DP 30M)

Handy Numbers
Age Concern Information Line 0800 00 99 66 www.ageconcern.org.uk
Arthritis Care 0808 800 4050 www.arthritiscare.org.uk
A Taste of Exmoor: Home cooked food delivered to your door! 01643 709856 or 07919 816197
AT West Community Transport  01643 709701
Blue Badge (Disabled Parking Scheme) 0845 3459133 or 01823 335285
Breast Cancer Care 0808 800 6000 www.breastcancercare.org.uk
CVS (Council for Voluntary Service) Minehead  01643 707484
Cruse Bereavement Care 0870 167 1677 www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk
Depression Alliance 0845 123 2320 www.depressionalliance.org
Diabetes UK 0845 120 2960 www.diabetes.org.uk
Help the Aged 0808 800 6565 www.helptheaged.org.uk
NHS Direct 0845 46 47 www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Piper Lifeline (Cynthia Lewis) 01643 709234
Prestige Mobility (Customer Focus Team) 0970 787 1975 www.prestigemobility.com
Samaritans 08457 09090 www.samaritans.org.uk
Somerset Association for the Blind 01823 333818 www.sab-fund.org.uk
Stroke Association 0845 303 3100 www.stroke.org.uk
Talking Newspapers 01984 640 471
Winter Warmth Helpline 0800 085 700 www.dh.gov.uk

Next Meeting
The next meeting will be in the New Year on Monday 28th January at 2.00 pm at The Seahorse Centre. I hope to see you there.