West Somerset
Disability Association

Hello everyone.  Here is the March newsletter.  The next newsletter will be published at the end of April.  See you all at the meeting at 2.00pm on Monday 24th April at the Seahorse Centre, Minehead.

At the meeting everybody must sign in, in the attendance book provided and if you come to the Seahorse Centre at other times sign in at Reception and remember to wear a visitor badge at all times.  There is no smoking allowed inside or at the front of the building.  You can go round to the back of the building for a quick smoke.
The address of the Seahorse Centre is: Stephenson Road, Minehead, TA24 5EB

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:  Dorothy Lloyd  01984 639636
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’ Representative:
   Marlene Saunders  01643 702972
Events Organisers: Margaret Bruford  01984 656367
   Sylvia Griffiths  01643 704637
   Rita Sandiford  01643 703469

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

Our new website is up and running now.  You can see the newsletter there as well as photos of our activities and news of forthcoming events.  Please give us your e-mail address if you have one, as it costs us nothing to send you your newsletter by E-mail but we have to pay to post them.  Please help us to help you!

If you would like to do 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 then advise the committee as to the problem and the committee will then decide what to do.

Disability Advocate

The service is provided by A4e and the telephone number is 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. 

President’s Report

Hello everybody, before I forget, please NO Dogs at the Seahorse Centre, except the Reg. Charity dogs. Thanks.

Had a lovely weekend away in Bath, at our friends’ Ladies Night.  Went with my daughter, Tricia, we had lunch in the Pump Room which was delicious and did the city bus tour and RETAIL THERAPY until I dropped!!  Coming back by train was an adventure, no trains to Taunton, slight panic, so phoned Virgin trains and the national train enquiries, and yes it was running.  No it wasn’t, so we got on the next train to Bristol, and then by good fortune I looked at the train monitor and saw buses to Taunton, which was leaving in 3 mins.  (A) we didn’t know where we going to catch this bus (B) we are both disabled.  Oh boy.  However the bus was there, we having gone under tunnels etc. to catch it.  So we came back the pretty way calling at all the stations on route to Taunton.  None of the stations were open, people everywhere, and coaches going all over the place.  It was different!!  Have rung the train operators and yes I can get a rebate, but would take no notice at all that we were stuck.  We had a friend waiting for us at Taunton and bless her she waited for us. Thank goodness for mobiles.

Chairman’s Report

The Chairman wishes to apologise for the lack of a report this month.  She has been suffering from flu and was unable to do anything about it.

(Chris)

Treasurer’s Report

The Meeting on March 27th raised £29 in the raffle and £13.62 for the Almoner’s Fund.  There are still a few members who haven’t paid their annual subscriptions.  Please pay as soon as possible by cheque or cash to the Treasurer, David Kendall, 5 Harepark, Allerford, TA24 8HL.  As the Events’ Committee report below, we had a very successful coffee morning last Saturday, raising £74.20 and an extra £38.50 from the raffle of Rita’s Teddy Bear.  Thank you all so much for this effort.

Events’ Committee Report

On March 23rd we went to the Corner House Restaurant in Lynmouth for lunch which was very good, it was a very cold day but at least it stayed fine for us.

Our Coffee Morning and Bring and Buy on Saturday March 25th was very successful, after expenses we made £74.20.  Also over the last few weeks we have been guessing the name of the Teddy Bear, that Terry and Rita kindly donated and thanks to their hard work collected £38.50 for us.  The teddy’s name was Snowdrop.  It was won by Chris, at the Retreat Café in Minehead. Thank you very much to all that helped and supported us.

Our trip on the Orient Express will soon be here Sunday April 23rd, we will be going to Temple Meads Station by mini bus leaving Minehead at approximately 10.30am but I will phone all concerned nearer the time about pickups on route.

We would like to know soon the names of those wishing to visit Philip Hobbs’ Stables on May 30th, and anyone interested in going to the Bath and West Show on June 1st, as Coaches, Tickets and Buggies have to be booked.

There will be a Devon Cream Tea at our next meeting on April 24th.

Please do come and support us at our next Coffee Morning and Bring and Buy on May 6th.

Please note a date for your diaries is December 7th for our Christmas Lunch at Foxes Hotel, Minehead.

Poets’ Corner

A CHILDHOOD MEMORY  [1927]

Silver burn born of the mountain,
Crystal clear, thirst quenching fountain;
Swiftly down the hillside flowing;
Greetings, from the heathers growing.
Singing to the rocks in passing,
Sunbeams on your surface dancing;
Onward, onward, ever flowing,
Till at last you reach the Dee,
There, to join the torrents racing
Ever faster to the sea.
You may think your destination
But the winds that blow across the ocean
Will lift you back to mother mountain
There, to replenish that crystal fountain.   

Len Cross

Articles, letters and e-mails

Free Transport

Following the Budget local buses will be free to pensioners and disabled people – anyone with a bus pass, in fact.  This starts on April 1st.  This will be extended to include national transport sometime soon.

South West Countryside Fair

Saturday 14th and 15th May at Wimbleball Lake.  Free Transport for members with bus passes!

Falconry flying displays, Victor’s Dog & Ducks, Raventale Giants, Clay Pigeon shooting, watersports, art, craft & produce stalls, fly fishing, demonstrations, dog show (Saturday only), Exmoor ponies, brass bands, samba drums, archery, cycle rides, walks, watersports, countryside stalls, children’s entertainment - magicians, jugglers, storytelling, cookery workshops, canoe polo (Saturday only), Punch & Judy, Rattlebox.

Handy Numbers

Winter Warmth Helpline 0800 085 700 www.dh.gov.uk

Arthritis Care 0808 800 4050 www.arthritiscare.org.uk

Help the Aged 0808 800 6565 www.helptheaged.org.uk

Prestige Mobility (Customer Focus Team) 0970 787 1975 www.prestigemobility.com

Breast Cancer Care 0808 800 6000 www.breastcancercare.org.uk

Depression Alliance 0845 123 2320 www.depressionalliance.org

Stroke Association 0845 303 3100 www.stroke.org.uk

Diabetes UK 0845 120 2960 www.diabetes.org.uk

Age Concern Information Line 0800 00 99 66 www.ageconcern.org.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care 0870 167 1677 www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk

Samaritans 08457 09090 www.samaritans.org.uk

NHS Direct 0845 46 47 www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

Somerset Association for the Blind  01823 333818 http://www.sab-fund.org.uk/

Next Meeting

Our next meeting will be on Monday 24th April at 2.00pm at the Seahorse Centre. I hope to see you there.