March: Cheltenham MS Society

Multiple Sclerosis is a progressive disease of the central nervous system. The severity of the disease varies markedly among sufferers and is characterised by a multiple, patchy pattern of disabilities. These may vary in site and time with unpredictable episodes of disease activity and remission. It often starts in early adult life and the type of long-term damage it causes will depend on which part of the nervous system has been affected.

The Cheltenham & North Cotswold Branch of the MS Society has been in existence since January 1984. This local group aims to be self-supporting, although allied to the National Society, and are very appreciative of our help. They are very clear that any money raised locally is used locally. There is a very strong emphasis on welfare and support for the whole family. Funds are short at the moment and the group is anxious to be able to continue to help with respite care which gives such a valuable rest to the carer. With the awareness that suffers of MS may have young families there is concern for the needs of these young carers, and they have a specific young carers fund. Young carers are being helped towards the cost of driving lessons, as this is such a valuable skill for them to acquire. Money is also made available for people with MS who want to access further education.

The Society wishes to be accessible for anyone affected by MS and can be easily contacted. A monthly newsletter is produced and they are very active and hold regular meetings for members. Carers are invited to coffee mornings at accessible local venues such as garden centres or supermarkets. The social group for younger or newly diagnosed people is thriving and they have regular meetings. Hydrotherapy classes are held at the Leonard Cheshire Home. Exercises groups include a conductive education class and a physiotherapy class. These are run by professionals and are therefore expensive for the support group to provide. Sadly the current shortage of funds means that some other initiatives have had to be put on hold to meet the identified priorities, so I hope we can play a generous part.

If anyone would like to help on a voluntary basis please ring the Branch Contact on: 01452 862822.

For more information click here to find out more about the Cheltenham and Cotswold Branch of the MS Society

February: Christian Aid's Haiti Appeal

As you will be aware, a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti late on 12th January. The epicentre was just to the south of the capital Port-au-Prince, causing devastation across the city and beyond, wrecking buildings, and thousands of people are reported homeless, missing or dead. This is the worst earthquake to hit Haiti in two centuries, and is a terrible event with wide ranging consequences for the people and country as a whole. As well as being a humanitarian tragedy, the impact will be all the more severe on Haiti given its position as the poorest country in the western hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world.

Christian Aid has an office in Haiti, based in Port au Prince, from which it co-ordinates work across the country. It also has an office in the Dominican Republic and the two offices work together on a range of projects. When the Congregational Federation Team visited the Dominican Republic in November they spent a week with the two Christian Aid Managers, Prospery Raymond (Haiti) and Sophie Richmond (Dominican Republic). Amongst the many buildings destroyed in the earthquake was the Christian Aid offices in Haiti, but thankfully Prospery was not injured. His concern now is that there is not enough food in the country to feed the people, nor drinking water.

It is too early to say how long it will take for the country to get back on its feet, but it is estimated that the cost of repairs could run into billions of dollars.

What can we do? Our response at Highbury is to make the Christian Aid Appeal for Haiti our Chosen Charity for February.

Also, to pray for everybody affected by the earthquake; to give thanks for the safety of Christian Aid staff in Haiti and ask for them, and all those helping with the disaster effort, to have strength and courage to deal with their own personal and country-wide loss ....

Loving God of creation,

at this time of devastation we hold before you the people of Haiti.

When the damage is unimaginable, and the suffering seems overwhelming, remind us that every person affected is loved,

honoured and precious in your sight.

We remember all those who have been hurt;

all who have lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones.

Work through us to bring healing to broken and distorted lives,

peace to those who have been thrown into despair,

light to those in darkness, and hope to those who fear.

We ask this in the name of Jesus in whom all life and grace is found. Amen.

“Prayer for Haiti” comes from Christian Aid.

January - Cheltenham Street Pastors

Cheltenham Street Pastors launched on the town’s streets on Saturday 5th December 2009 after a Commissioning Service for volunteers on 1st December.

The project came about as a result of God’s call on four lay people in Gloucestershire a little more than eighteen months ago. It was clear to these individuals God was calling them to bring new and effective Christian work to the streets of our County. Church leaders in Cheltenham were working towards ecumenical cohesion and outreach too, and God pulled everyone together in prayerful action.

Cheltenham Street Pastors are based on the work of the Ascension Trust which began in London in 2003 as an inter-denominational church response to urban problems. They aim to engage with people on the streets to care, listen and enter into dialogue.

A Street Pastor needs to be over 18, a church member and able to commit to a twelve session training course. The course includes subjects such as counseling skills, drugs awareness, sociology, knowing your community, role and responsibility, and street safety.

Each Street Pastor will have a concern for society, in particular with young people, and will be wiling to engage with people where they are in terms of their thinking and location. They will be working with other agencies and projects to look at collaborative ways of working on issues affecting young people and building trust. The role is not about preaching but is one of listening, caring and helping in an unconditional way.

We have supported the vision of forming a team of Street Pastors with our prayers since it was first brought up at Church Meeting for our consideration. Now is the appropriate time to offer our financial help as our chosen charity.

Recruitment and training of a second team is under way and funding is needed to help with training expenses and necessary equipment for the volunteers.

If you would like to apply to become a Street Pastor in Cheltenham or to support the teams through prayer or other practical help please contact Howard Bartlett on 01242 231644 or cheltenham@streetpastors.org.uk

For more information on Cheltenham Street Pastors go to the Cheltenham Page on The Street Pastors Web Page

Steps for Stephanie - Our Christmas Collection

Introducing Stephanie Stewart

As Stephanie’s mum I have decided to start a charity for her called ‘Steps for Stephanie’. The aim of the charity is to raise funds to enable Stephanie to have access to aids that will make her more independent and give her a better quality of life. As a mum I worry about who will care for Stephanie if her parents are not around.

In May 2008 Stephanie collapsed at home and was rushed to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital her heart had stopped beating and she had to be shocked to restart her heart, and suffered a loss of oxygen to the brain (a stroke). Strokes are the major cause of childhood deaths in Britain.

Stephanie was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at Bristol Children’s Hospital where she was put on a ventilator. She was found to have an undetected hole in the heart as well as a condition called Arhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia. This basically means her heart does not beat regularly and will at times stop for short periods. No one quite has the last piece to the jigsaw as to why this happened.

I remember clearly one Sunday morning a consultant telling us that this was as good as we could hope for, and the feeling of blame, grief and despair that washed over us. However as we now know Stephanie is a fighter, and coupled with the excellent care she received she fought back. After many operations including repair of the hole in the heart, tracheotomy and the fitting of an internal cardiac defibrillator Stephanie started to make slow progress.

In late September 2008 Stephanie was moved to the Barbara Russell Unit at Frenchay Hospital for rehabilitation. This is a specialist unit for children with neurological problems and each child has a personalised programme of rehabilitation. Stephanie goes to school in the mornings, followed by Speech and Language Therapy (this has enabled her to learn to swallow again and she can now managed three liquidised meals a day. After that comes Physiotherapy sessions, where Stephanie learns to re-build herself to help with balancing etc.

We are all hoping that she will be discharged in January 2010. We would very much like her to be granted a place at St Rose’s School in Stroud, which has a warm family feeling to it and we believe will be of great benefit to her.

Our first fundraiser is a Quiz Night in Leonard Stanley which has amazingly sold out, and a Barn Dance is planned for June next year hopefully in the Cheltenham area. I am also in training for the Bristol and Stroud Half Marathons.

Louise Cooper

November - Highbury Day Centre

The Day Centre continues to meet at Highbury every Thursday and Friday. We think of it as “our” day centre and are glad to feel that the staff and clients are part of our church family.

We like to collect for them during November so that money raised can be used towards their Christmas festivities and to buy presents for the clients. It is now unfeasible to go out for a meal due to the frailty of most of the people who come to the centre.

In the past transport had been a problem, since volunteer drivers need to be aware of the importance of reminding clients to lock their doors and pick up their handbags, but now the use of a community transport minibus means that clients are collected by a member of staff and driver, offering a much more personal service. The current consistency of staff adds to the stability and continuity for the clients.

Day Centres are rarely used now solely to give elderly people social contact and most of the clientele have dementia and therefore a high level of dependency. Attendance at a Day Centre gives their carers respite as well as offering social support. Clients usually arrive between 9.30 and 10.00am and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. There are various activities during the morning. Lunch is an important opportunity for social interaction as well as a good meal.

During the afternoons there may be games as well as other group activities. A relaxation corner has a fish tank and aromatherapy, and the offer of a manicure. Tea or coffee with biscuits are offered again at 2.30pm and people usually leave between 3.00 and 3.50pm.

As part of our family the Day Centre have enjoyed Harvest celebration. As usual there will be Christmas services whilst the Day Centre is open, and it is lovely for anyone who is free to join with the clients and their carers for these celebrations.

If you would like to offer help to the Day Centre please contact the manager Ruth Pearce on 01242 581713.

Cotswold Downs Group - Friends of Daniella

Jenny King set up the Cotswold Downs Syndrome support group in memory of her daughter, Daniella, who died before her fourth birthday.

When Daniella was born there was no group available to people in Cheltenham and the Cotswolds. Jenny says, “You are a bit shell-shocked when you’re first told you have a child with Downs Syndrome. You don’t really know what the future will bring, and it’s helpful to meet other parents in a similar situation. Parents realise the potential their children have. They realise there is light at the end of the tunnel and that they can grow to have a fulfilling life”.

The group had eight members when it was set up in 2004 but now supports 38 families in the area, with regular social and fundraising events. Parents are able to meet and learn from each other because they are experiencing the same thing. “It’s knowing that you’re not out there on your own. It’s just bouncing ideas off each other, and knowing where to go for information”.

A siblings group is valuable for its peer support and understanding to the other children in a family.

The group raises about £1,000 per year to fund its social activities and is hoping to raise £18,000 for members to go on holiday next year. The trip would be to a facility on Exmoor run by the Calvert Trust which enables people with disabilities, together with their families and friends, to take part in outdoor adventure activities. Charitable status has been applied for, and to achieve this they need to show that they have raised, or have monies pledged for £5,000. “As a charity we will be aiming to expand our support for children with Downs Syndrome, working alongside the relevant services to provide appropriate support for them”.

If anyone would like to make a donation beyond our collections in church, cheques should be made payable to ‘The Cotswold Downs Group’ and sent c/o Jenny King, 1 Rowan Way, Up Hatherley, GL51 3YF.

September - County Community Projects

We are used to supporting County Community Projects with our donations of tinned and dried foods for which they are very grateful. They thought we would like this insight into another aspect of their work whilst we are remembering them this month.

One of CCP’s most heavily used services is that of the Appropriate Adult. Each year, we answer more than 500 calls to accompany juveniles held in police custody when their parents cannot, or will not, attend. The service, staffed entirely by trained volunteers, operates 365 days per year between 8.00am and 11.00pm at locations across Gloucestershire. The role of the Appropriate Adult is to monitor the rights and welfare of young people, some of whom can be as young as 11 or 12, whilst they are held in custody. The service is also available to vulnerable adults who may have mental health or learning difficulties and may not fully understand the reasons behind their arrest.

John Evison, a CCP Appropriate Adult volunteer who is “retiring” to spend more time with his grandchildren after almost 12 years on the role, recounts some memories from his time with CCP.

“I joined CCP as a volunteer in the autumn of 1997. It has always been rewarding to know that, at the very least, your presence enabled the custody procedure to be completed as quickly as possible, allowing the juvenile to be released and returned home. You always hoped to be able to say something which may have helped the juvenile to change the direction of their life. Every call, of course, is different. You never know what to expect and the following cases remain in my memory to illustrate that.”

“Once, I was asked to accompany a juvenile member of a notorious Gloucestershire gang while he was driven around Oxfordshire by the police, having agreed to cooperate by identifying ‘high society’ homes at which he had kept watch while the gang broke in and stole valuable artefacts.”

“On another occasion, a juvenile was reported to the police by a local shopkeeper for stealing a pot noodle and a packet of crisps, valued at £1.50, on his way home from school. He found himself arrested and locked in a cell, thereby involving two policemen, a solicitor, a member of the Crown Prosecution Service, and me, for several hours.”

“Finally, I have seen that our Police and Criminal Evidence Act offers offending juveniles, other offenders with mental health issues and learning difficulties, and people with an inadequate command of the English language, a fair hearing and treatment whilst in custody. I am proud to have been associated with that through CCP.”

For further information on becoming an Appropriate Adult volunteer, or to book a “Seeing is Believing” tour of our main services, contact CCP on 01242 228999, or visit our website at www.ccprojects.org.uk