www.breatheeasytelford.btik.com

February 2011

Registered Charity No. 326730

Breathe Easy Telford is a self-help group affiliated to theBritish Lung Foundation, dedicated to bringing together allthose in our area affected by respiratory diseases, bothpatients and carers. Meetings are monthly, every fourthThursday Wellington Civic & Leisure Centre [Swimming Baths],Larkin Way, Tan Bank, Wellington, Telford TF1 1LX at 2.00 p.m.Please contact chairman - Gerald Newton on 01952 593561for further details.

Secretary - Trudy 01952 250083 Transport - Mary 01952 254678

Welfare - Veronica 01952 276547Editor - Mark E-mail the editor; dillarstone@blueyonder.co.uk

Teddy at the ready!

My aim is to try to help your group raisefunds and to celebrate the 10th year ofBreathe Easy here in Telford!What I would like you to do is take mehome, just for a little visit then, while

we're there you can introduce me to your friends and we can ask them to guess my birthday!Not too difficult is it? I can even come to the pub with you if you want and I'll go anywhereyou want to take me and the good thing is I don't even need to be fed!If we can sell each day of the year for £1 each we will raise £365 which will be a great helptowards our overheads while raising the profile of the group. My date of birth will be writtenon a note which will be signed & sealed in an envelope by an independent person so that wecan all partake with no cheating! As long as we sell all the days of the year everyone will havean equal chance if you buy the first or the last date so are you ready to have a go? I'll lookforward to meeting you as soon as my new clothes are ready..... just to save my blushes!Edward x

Since the snow came all the wife has done is look through the window.If it gets any worse, I'll have to let her in.

Beathe Easy Telford - New Year Lunch 2011The Hadley Park House Hotel in Telford was our venue this year. As previously we dined in thelight and airy conservatory which always has a lovely ambience. We all enjoyed the splendidfood. It was just the ticket to help us shake off the winter gloom with the warmth of so manyfriends around. Photos these pages positioned in boxes below. Names left to right.Apologies if I missed you! 1 2 1/ Frank, Pat, Pat and Marjorie 7/ Marjorie, Pearl, Barbara and Gerald 7 8 3 4 2/ Mark, Sue and Mary 8/ Peter, Anita, Sarah and Michelle 9 10 5 6 3/ Mervyn, Mary, Janet, Veronica 9/ Chris, Pat, Jean and Veronica 11 12 4/ Eilsa, Louise and Sarah 10/ Sheila, Patrick, Garth, Eileen, Mary & Steve

5/ Sue, Margaret and Dennis 11/ Joyce and Ron 6/ Peter, Gwen, Jane and Marjorie 12/ Joyce, Ron, Alan and Elaine

Expert Patients ProgrammeThe NHS are running courses to help manage long term conditions. These are useful if you suffer from e.g. asthma,chronic pain, diabetes, coronary heart disease, or you are a carer. These free courses are run by trainedvolunteers, who themselves have a long term condition. The aims are to:• Manage tiredness and pain • Cope with difficult emotions • Relaxation and exercise• Action planning and problem solving • Communicate with healthcare professionals, family and colleagues.The courses last for 6 weeks, a 2 ½ hour session each week.Next courses:Telford Mind & Wellbeing Centre, Sutton Hill, Telford - 2nd March 2011 10.00 - 12.30pmNewport Cricket Club, Newport - 14th April 2011 2.00 - 4.30pmWellington Methodist Church - 26th May 2011 2.00 - 4.30pm

To book your free place, contact the self care team on 01952 580474 or e mail deborah.hopkins@telfordpct.nhs.uk

AnnouncementIt is with deep regret and sadness that we announce the passing of six members during the close of lastyear to the start of this, including two members from the early days of the group, Jo Newton and Pat Rea.Carol Woodcock also passed away along with Bert Meredith, Sheila Jones and Alan Whitehead.We would like to pass our sincere condolences and sympathies on behalf our fellow members to theirfamilies and friends. Steve Evans will be remembering in our next issue, they will be greatly missed.

Free Wyldwoods experienceSteph Brett from the Wyldwoods Experience writes:

We are offering free half day taster days for people in Telford and Wrekin. These half day workshopsare funded by Telford and Wrekin NHS through the Community Health Grant. The aim is to get peopleto come along and have a go at a couple of physical activities which include gentle exercise and linkin with healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. Especially suitable for those who may need to lose(orgain) a bit of weight and eat more healthily. We hope to have 6 half day workshops (only 2 hours long)which will involve up to 8 people at a time in basic green woodworking activities (using a shavehorse-gentle stretching), organic gardening-obvious exercise which will lead on to discussionsrelating to healthy eating etc. We will also incorporate a gentle walk around the site so that participantscan feel the benefit of our beautiful and therapeutic site which is very beneficial to mental well-beingwhich makes us feel physically better as a result.These tasters are free. The hope is to give as many people as possible a taste of what they could beenjoying at Wyldwoods on a regular basis through their personal budgets/direct payments andreferrals from GP's , social workers and personal assistants etc. This offer is open to anyone with aneed resident in Telford and Wrekin. Carers are also encouraged to come along to experience alovely half day at Wyldwoods.Sessions are available :Wednesdays. 10.00am-12.00pm or 1.00pm-3.00pm We can provide transport to central pick up anddrop off points if needed.Wednesday 2nd March am or pmWednesday 9th March am or pmWednesday 16th March am or pmWe want to encourage as many people as possible to enjoy the free Wyldwoods experience but ifpeople would like to attend more than one session that is also fine.For further details Tel: 01952 884224 Email: steph.brett@wyldwoods.co.uk Veronica Miller

A few of this years events!Mary’s Pub meals. Always a good occasion to meet fellow members and enjoy a lunch at the WicketsInn, Wellington. We meet at noon on the first Monday of the month unless it is a Bank Holiday.Next lunch is Monday 7 March.Next Group meeting is on Thursday 24 February - Presentation by the former Mayoress ofBridgnorth. At our March meeting (Thursday 24 March (Note:- March has five weeks this year)) we havea presentation from the Department of Works and Pensions.See front page for venue and further information.Outings for this year are a garden centre visit (likely to be Bridgmere), Llandudno back by populardemand, High Tea at Hadley Park Hotel. Later on in the year Trentham Gardens Estate. Also beingconsidered is a visit to the Arboretum and a trip on the Severn Valley Railway to include a meal on thetrain. Lots to look forward to! Full details and dates of all events mentioned will follow soon and will alsobe posted on our website when available.Mark Dillarstone

HumourA lad came home from school and excitedly told his dad that he had been chosen for a part in the school play and he wasplaying a man who had been married for 25 years. His father said, "Never mind son, maybe next year you'll get a speakingpart."So I was in the jungle and there was this monkey with a tin opener. I said, "You don't need a tin opener to peel a banana."He said, "No, this is for the custard."So I met this bloke with a didgeridoo and he was playing Dancing Queen on it. I thought. that's Aboriginal.I bought a train ticket and the driver said "Eurostar" I said "Well I've been on telly but I'm no David Beckham.So I told my mum that I'd opened a theatre. She said, "Are you having me on?" I said, "Well I'll give you an audition,but I'm not promising you anything."