Local

Local Branch Contact Details: President / Chair Janet McMillan 01509 880 577 Vice Chair Ruth Johnson 0116 247 8279 Branch Contact Isobel Jenkins * 01455 283 005 Secretary Jenny Holmes-Shuttlewood * 0116 251 5496 Treasurer Angela Parkin 0116 267 5030 Publicity Officer Lee Parkin 07930 490 934 Trust Officer Paul Wilcock * 0116 267 7970 Mail Administrator John Denoon 0116 267 4040 Committee Member John Shuttlewood 0116 251 5496 Committee Member John Mattock 0116 247 8409 Committee Member Benny Rossi Association Visitor Ann Kirkpatrick Association Visitor Alison Smith Association Visitor Helen Bennett 01455 209 405 Association Visitor Angela Saunders 01572 755 469 Association Visitor Ann Brennan 0116 259 3945 Association Visitor Mohamed Sayed * Association Visitor

Other Useful Contact Details: Regional Care Development Advisor – Rachel Boothman 0845 375 1830 Email: rachel.boothman@mndassociation.org MND Association Helpline – charged at local rate 08457 626 262 Open 9.00am – 5.00pm & 7.00pm – 10.30pm National Office: Motor Neurone Disease Association P.O. Box 246 Northampton NN1 2PR Newsletter Contact – Lee Parkin 07930 490 934 Email: lee@mndaleicester.org.uk Registered charity 294354 www.mndaleicester.org.uk Sponsored by Greenshires Group www.greenshires.com

Leicestershire & Rutland Branch Newsletter March 2011

We hope you find this newsletter useful, please read it and pass it on to friends and family to help spread any news. If you have any social or fundraising events coming up please let us know and we can help publicise it. The more people who know the more people will come! Email: lee@mndaleicester.org.uk If you have any news, views, tips, help, stories or anything you think others might find enjoyable or useful please let us know. If you need any assistance with this there is help available, see numbers on reverse.

www.mndaleicester.org.uk Contents:

• Tree of Memories • Ol’ Blue Eyes at Birstall British Legion • Ratcliffe Chorale • Financial Health • Letter from the Chair • Past Carer’s Meeting – All Bowled Over! • Fashio Show • Friends & Family Forum Dates for your Diary

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN Dear Friends After such a cold and harsh winter it’s good to see the early signs of Spring and the promise of some better weather ahead. The snow before Christmas certainly made life difficult for many people and caused many events to be postponed or cancelled. Nonetheless, I’m pleased to tell you that, after several delays, we finally managed to plant our MNDA memorial tree at the Leicester Arboretum on a cold and very damp day in November. To be more accurate, a little group of us huddled around while a team of Arboretum gardeners did all the work!

The tree is a crimson maple and is already quite tall as you will see from the photos, so we are now looking forward to seeing it come to life as a permanent and beautiful memorial to those we have lost to MND. Those of you who attended our first “Time of Tribute” at the Walkers Stadium two years ago will remember that all the tribute messages were left with us so they could be buried under the memorial tree. So, with quiet ceremony, we placed them under the roots of our maple as it was being planted. The tree is quite easy to find from the car park at Shady Lane and there is a plaque at the base to identify it. (We have included detailed directions elsewhere in this newsletter.) As I write, with support from LOROS, plans are under way for our 2011 “Time of Tribute” memorial occasion for the families and friends of those who have died from MND in the last two years. Invitations to the event at the Walkers Stadium on 26 March will be sent directly to those involved. Finally, enclosed with this newsletter is an invitation to our 25th AGM at 7.30 pm on Monday 4 April. As usual it will be in the Frizelle Suite at LOROS, Leicester and we will have the pleasure of welcoming Susan Hayward as our speaker for the evening. Sue will be giving us an illustrated talk about the two medal-winning gardens she has created to raise awareness of MND at the Chelsea Flower Show. Having met Sue and seen her latest garden I know we are in for a very enjoyable evening so, whether or not you’re a gardener, do come and join members and friends of the Branch for our special “Silver Anniversary” AGM. Best wishes, Janet McMillan, Chairman, Leicestershire and Rutland Branch

Spring Fashion Show

by Francesca Of Kibworth at Glen Gorse Golf Club, Oadby

On Tuesday 5th April 2011 7.30pm for 8.00pm

£8.00 (Inc a glass of wine) Tickets available from:

• Francesca @ Kibworth Harcourt • Glen Gorse Golf Club, Oadby, Leic • Vicki Ryall at Cantu, Beadswell Lane, Burton Overy

• Text only 07856 248164 or Email vicki@cantu.me.uk

Past Carer’s Meeting At the last gathering we had a good turn out and a hearty pub meal. Promising to be more active in the New Year, it was decided that we are to go bowling for our next get together ‘Hollywood Bowl’ at Meridian Thursday 31st March, 7.30pm to bowl at 8.00pm. As we need to book lanes can you please let Angela know asap if you are interested, come as you are or bring a friend. Please call Angela Parkin on 0116 267 5030 if you want to attend or for more information.

Scambusters! A useful booklet has been produced by the Office of Fair Trading, called Scambuster: Your guide to beating the scammers. The booklet has been designed to inform the public of the danger of scamming through unsolicited letters, emails and phone calls, or through websites. Case studies of specific scams are provided. If you suspect you have been subject to a scam, contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06. Free copies of the Scambuster booklet can be ordered by calling 0800 389 3158 and different formats are available.

Statins In early February, some local newspapers reported that ‘statins caused my MND’. This has caused some concern. Statins are a class of prescription drug that are used to lower cholesterol levels in people with, or who are at risk of cardiovascular disease. The reason why their use has been linked to MND is because the adverse side effects of statins include muscle cramps, pain and weakness, which can overlap with some of the symptoms of MND. Due to these similarities, researchers have studied whether taking statins is linked to MND as a risk factor for the development of the disease. Through a large study which represented 200,000 years of statin or dummy drug (placebo) use in clinical trials, taking statins was not found to increase the chances of somebody developing MND. For more information on statins and MND, please see Research Information Sheet N: statins and MND which can be downloaded on our website, or ordered from MND Connect.

Spring Conference Dates The dates for our 2011 spring conferences are as follows: Sunday 3 April – Stratford, Saturday 9 April – Manchester Sunday 8 May – Bristol , Sunday 15 May – Reading Sunday 22 May – Cambridge Please note that the date for the Manchester Spring Conference has been changed since the last editions of Thumb Print and The News. The new date is Saturday 9 April, as appears in the programme and on the website. For enquiries or to register, please contact the conference team on 01604 611837 or email

Ratcliffe Chorale Supporting MND Association

Having fairly recently joined the Ratcliffe Chorale, I’m delighted to tell you that our Easter concert at 7.30 pm on Thursday 7 April will be supporting the MND Association. It will be held in the chapel at Ratcliffe College, Ratcliffe on Soar (on the A46 near Syston / Sileby). The first half of the programme will be a selection of solos, complemented by the Chorale and the school chamber choir. In the second half, we will be performing Bach’s “Magnificat in D”. The Ratcliffe Chorale will be supported by some fantastic soloists including our own Rachel Stonehouse and Miranda Turner-Pope, Gareth and Katharine Lloyd and musicians by way of Rob Wallace (trumpeter) and Simon Headley (Assistant Director of Music at Leicester Cathedral). Tickets will be £5 each, children free. All proceeds will be donated to the local branches of the MND Association and the MS Society. For more information and tickets please contact me on 01509 880577. Janet McMillan

Following the death of his wife Miche from motor neurone disease (MND), former England Cricket International Chris Broad and his two children, England fast bowler Stuart, and England team performance analyst Gemma are pulling together to raise money and awareness for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association through The Broad Appeal.

On Friday 11 February, the day before Stuart flew out to India to join his England team mates for the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Chris, Stuart and Gemma are launched The Broad Appeal at Lord's Cricket Ground.Just a few months after receiving her diagnosis of MND Miche Broad went from being an active and energetic woman to becoming increasingly disabled, unable to walk or talk. She courageously battled the disease for 14 months until her death in July 2010. Now the family is honouring her memory by launching their own battle to beat MND.

Chris said: “Miche was the most amazingly strong and resilient woman I have known. When she was diagnosed with the disease she didn’t crumple into a heap and give up on life she made a conscious effort to live life to the full and indeed started planning things that she’d always wanted to do. “I have rarely been someone who goes out of my way to help others, but things happen in our lives that leave indelible marks and this disease and the effects it has on individuals and their families has left an indelible mark on mine. MND is a killer and we want to do our little bit to help find a cure.” Over the next two years The Broad Appeal will be running a programme of events to raise money to invest in groundbreaking research into the little-understood disease.

The Broad Appeal will be organising a number of fundraising events across the country in 2011, including ‘An Evening with Chris and Stuart Broad’, a race day, a sportsman’s dinner at Lord's and a pro-am cricketing tournament.

For more information on The Broad Appeal or to make a donation please log onto www.thebroadappeal.org.

Charity Dinner Evening

At the British Royal Legion Club Front Street Birstall LE4 4DQ

Wednesday March 23rd 2011 at 6.30pm for 7.00pm

3 Course Dinner Selection

£15.50 Per person

For more information and to book your tickets call 0116 267 4040

For evening entertainment

we present the superb:

James Selfridge sings

Sinatra & The Rat Pack Era

www.franksinatramyway.co.uk

.

Cricket hero launches ‘The Broad Appeal’

Thanks to all our supporters for funds Thanks to all our supporters for funds Thanks to all our supporters for funds raised!

A Tree of Memories…

The planting of the Memorial Tree has now taken place and for those who would like to go to the Arboretum to see the tree here are directions, the Arboretum is on Shady Lane, Evington, which runs between Main Street, Evington and Gartree Road, Oadby. There is a car park at the Arboretum which is on Shady Lane just before the junction with Gartree Road, once parked walk back to the car park entrance where you will find a foot path turn left onto this path and continue walking until you come to a bridge at this point enter the Arboretum through the gateway on your left, you will see a pathway straight ahead and one which runs diagonally to the left this is the one you need to take it has a slight uphill incline half way up you will pass a bench on your left, at the point where you come to a crossroads of the footpaths you will see another bench on your left and opposite that bench is the MND Memorial tree which has a plaque in front. I hope my directions are clear but if you need more information you can always ring me on 0116 2515496. For Sat Nav users, I would suggest using the Spire Hospital postcode as the Arboretum is opposite to the Spire. The Arboretum is a lovely place with lots of different species of trees the footpaths are mostly grass but kept short for ease of walking, it has a brook running through the centre and benches with tables for picnicking, it is just the place to spend a warm summer afternoon. By the way perhaps I should mention I failed my first driving test because I didn’t know my left from my right !!! (don’t worry I have had someone check the directions given above). Jenny Holmes-Shuttlewood Friends & Family Meetings Held at 7 Snow Hill, Leicester for all those currently caring for or involved with people living with Motor Neurone Disease. Come to meet like-minded folk for a chat and get together. Outreach nurses and committee members are on hand for a quiet chat too. Wednesday March 16th. April 20th, May 25th and June 15th. For information please call Jenny Holmes-Shuttlewood on 0116 251 5496. Please do let Jenny know if you need any assistance with transport.

Pictured: Alison Smith, Jenny Holmes-Shuttlewood and Jo Joyce

A Tree of Memories…

The planting of the Memorial Tree has now taken place and for those who would like to go to the Arboretum to see the tree here are directions, the Arboretum is on Shady Lane, Evington, which runs between Main Street, Evington and Gartree Road, Oadby. There is a car park at the Arboretum which is on Shady Lane just before the junction with Gartree Road, once parked walk back to the car park entrance where you will find a foot path turn left onto this path and continue walking until you come to a bridge at this point enter the Arboretum through the gateway on your left, you will see a pathway straight ahead and one which runs diagonally to the left this is the one you need to take it has a slight uphill incline half way up you will pass a bench on your left, at the point where you come to a crossroads of the footpaths you will see another bench on your left and opposite that bench is the MND Memorial tree which has a plaque in front. I hope my directions are clear but if you need more information you can always ring me on 0116 2515496. For Sat Nav users, I would suggest using the Spire Hospital postcode as the Arboretum is opposite to the Spire. The Arboretum is a lovely place with lots of different species of trees the footpaths are mostly grass but kept short for ease of walking, it has a brook running through the centre and benches with tables for picnicking, it is just the place to spend a warm summer afternoon. By the way perhaps I should mention I failed my first driving test because I didn’t know my left from my right !!! (don’t worry I have had someone check the directions given above). Jenny Holmes-Shuttlewood Friends & Family Meetings Held at 7 Snow Hill, Leicester for all those currently caring for or involved with people living with Motor Neurone Disease. Come to meet like-minded folk for a chat and get together. Outreach nurses and committee members are on hand for a quiet chat too. Wednesday March 16th. April 20th, May 25th and June 15th. For information please call Jenny Holmes-Shuttlewood on 0116 251 5496. Please do let Jenny know if you need any assistance with transport.

Pictured: Alison Smith, Jenny Holmes-Shuttlewood and Jo Joyce

Thanks to all our supporters for funds Thanks to all our supporters for funds Thanks to all our supporters for funds raised!

Following the death of his wife Miche from motor neurone disease (MND), former England Cricket International Chris Broad and his two children, England fast bowler Stuart, and England team performance analyst Gemma are pulling together to raise money and awareness for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association through The Broad Appeal.

On Friday 11 February, the day before Stuart flew out to India to join his England team mates for the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Chris, Stuart and Gemma are launched The Broad Appeal at Lord's Cricket Ground.Just a few months after receiving her diagnosis of MND Miche Broad went from being an active and energetic woman to becoming increasingly disabled, unable to walk or talk. She courageously battled the disease for 14 months until her death in July 2010. Now the family is honouring her memory by launching their own battle to beat MND.

Chris said: “Miche was the most amazingly strong and resilient woman I have known. When she was diagnosed with the disease she didn’t crumple into a heap and give up on life she made a conscious effort to live life to the full and indeed started planning things that she’d always wanted to do. “I have rarely been someone who goes out of my way to help others, but things happen in our lives that leave indelible marks and this disease and the effects it has on individuals and their families has left an indelible mark on mine. MND is a killer and we want to do our little bit to help find a cure.” Over the next two years The Broad Appeal will be running a programme of events to raise money to invest in groundbreaking research into the little-understood disease.

The Broad Appeal will be organising a number of fundraising events across the country in 2011, including ‘An Evening with Chris and Stuart Broad’, a race day, a sportsman’s dinner at Lord's and a pro-am cricketing tournament.

For more information on The Broad Appeal or to make a donation please log onto www.thebroadappeal.org.

Charity Dinner Evening

At the British Royal Legion Club Front Street Birstall LE4 4DQ

Wednesday March 23rd 2011 at 6.30pm for 7.00pm

3 Course Dinner Selection

£15.50 Per person

For more information and to book your tickets call 0116 267 4040

For evening entertainment

we present the superb:

James Selfridge sings

Sinatra & The Rat Pack Era

www.franksinatramyway.co.uk

.

Cricket hero launches ‘The Broad Appeal’

Scambusters! A useful booklet has been produced by the Office of Fair Trading, called Scambuster: Your guide to beating the scammers. The booklet has been designed to inform the public of the danger of scamming through unsolicited letters, emails and phone calls, or through websites. Case studies of specific scams are provided. If you suspect you have been subject to a scam, contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06. Free copies of the Scambuster booklet can be ordered by calling 0800 389 3158 and different formats are available.

Statins In early February, some local newspapers reported that ‘statins caused my MND’. This has caused some concern. Statins are a class of prescription drug that are used to lower cholesterol levels in people with, or who are at risk of cardiovascular disease. The reason why their use has been linked to MND is because the adverse side effects of statins include muscle cramps, pain and weakness, which can overlap with some of the symptoms of MND. Due to these similarities, researchers have studied whether taking statins is linked to MND as a risk factor for the development of the disease. Through a large study which represented 200,000 years of statin or dummy drug (placebo) use in clinical trials, taking statins was not found to increase the chances of somebody developing MND. For more information on statins and MND, please see Research Information Sheet N: statins and MND which can be downloaded on our website, or ordered from MND Connect.

Spring Conference Dates The dates for our 2011 spring conferences are as follows: Sunday 3 April – Stratford, Saturday 9 April – Manchester Sunday 8 May – Bristol , Sunday 15 May – Reading Sunday 22 May – Cambridge Please note that the date for the Manchester Spring Conference has been changed since the last editions of Thumb Print and The News. The new date is Saturday 9 April, as appears in the programme and on the website. For enquiries or to register, please contact the conference team on 01604 611837 or email

Ratcliffe Chorale Supporting MND Association

Having fairly recently joined the Ratcliffe Chorale, I’m delighted to tell you that our Easter concert at 7.30 pm on Thursday 7 April will be supporting the MND Association. It will be held in the chapel at Ratcliffe College, Ratcliffe on Soar (on the A46 near Syston / Sileby). The first half of the programme will be a selection of solos, complemented by the Chorale and the school chamber choir. In the second half, we will be performing Bach’s “Magnificat in D”. The Ratcliffe Chorale will be supported by some fantastic soloists including our own Rachel Stonehouse and Miranda Turner-Pope, Gareth and Katharine Lloyd and musicians by way of Rob Wallace (trumpeter) and Simon Headley (Assistant Director of Music at Leicester Cathedral). Tickets will be £5 each, children free. All proceeds will be donated to the local branches of the MND Association and the MS Society. For more information and tickets please contact me on 01509 880577. Janet McMillan

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN Dear Friends After such a cold and harsh winter it’s good to see the early signs of Spring and the promise of some better weather ahead. The snow before Christmas certainly made life difficult for many people and caused many events to be postponed or cancelled. Nonetheless, I’m pleased to tell you that, after several delays, we finally managed to plant our MNDA memorial tree at the Leicester Arboretum on a cold and very damp day in November. To be more accurate, a little group of us huddled around while a team of Arboretum gardeners did all the work!

The tree is a crimson maple and is already quite tall as you will see from the photos, so we are now looking forward to seeing it come to life as a permanent and beautiful memorial to those we have lost to MND. Those of you who attended our first “Time of Tribute” at the Walkers Stadium two years ago will remember that all the tribute messages were left with us so they could be buried under the memorial tree. So, with quiet ceremony, we placed them under the roots of our maple as it was being planted. The tree is quite easy to find from the car park at Shady Lane and there is a plaque at the base to identify it. (We have included detailed directions elsewhere in this newsletter.) As I write, with support from LOROS, plans are under way for our 2011 “Time of Tribute” memorial occasion for the families and friends of those who have died from MND in the last two years. Invitations to the event at the Walkers Stadium on 26 March will be sent directly to those involved. Finally, enclosed with this newsletter is an invitation to our 25th AGM at 7.30 pm on Monday 4 April. As usual it will be in the Frizelle Suite at LOROS, Leicester and we will have the pleasure of welcoming Susan Hayward as our speaker for the evening. Sue will be giving us an illustrated talk about the two medal-winning gardens she has created to raise awareness of MND at the Chelsea Flower Show. Having met Sue and seen her latest garden I know we are in for a very enjoyable evening so, whether or not you’re a gardener, do come and join members and friends of the Branch for our special “Silver Anniversary” AGM. Best wishes, Janet McMillan, Chairman, Leicestershire and Rutland Branch

Spring Fashion Show

by Francesca Of Kibworth at Glen Gorse Golf Club, Oadby

On Tuesday 5th April 2011 7.30pm for 8.00pm

£8.00 (Inc a glass of wine) Tickets available from:

• Francesca @ Kibworth Harcourt • Glen Gorse Golf Club, Oadby, Leic • Vicki Ryall at Cantu, Beadswell Lane, Burton Overy

• Text only 07856 248164 or Email vicki@cantu.me.uk

Past Carer’s Meeting At the last gathering we had a good turn out and a hearty pub meal. Promising to be more active in the New Year, it was decided that we are to go bowling for our next get together ‘Hollywood Bowl’ at Meridian Thursday 31st March, 7.30pm to bowl at 8.00pm. As we need to book lanes can you please let Angela know asap if you are interested, come as you are or bring a friend. Please call Angela Parkin on 0116 267 5030 if you want to attend or for more information.

Local

Local Branch Contact Details: President / Chair Janet McMillan 01509 880 577 Vice Chair Ruth Johnson 0116 247 8279 Branch Contact Isobel Jenkins * 01455 283 005 Secretary Jenny Holmes-Shuttlewood * 0116 251 5496 Treasurer Angela Parkin 0116 267 5030 Publicity Officer Lee Parkin 07930 490 934 Trust Officer Paul Wilcock * 0116 267 7970 Mail Administrator John Denoon 0116 267 4040 Committee Member John Shuttlewood 0116 251 5496 Committee Member John Mattock 0116 247 8409 Committee Member Benny Rossi Association Visitor Ann Kirkpatrick Association Visitor Alison Smith Association Visitor Helen Bennett 01455 209 405 Association Visitor Angela Saunders 01572 755 469 Association Visitor Ann Brennan 0116 259 3945 Association Visitor Mohamed Sayed * Association Visitor

Other Useful Contact Details: Regional Care Development Advisor – Rachel Boothman 0845 375 1830 Email: rachel.boothman@mndassociation.org MND Association Helpline – charged at local rate 08457 626 262 Open 9.00am – 5.00pm & 7.00pm – 10.30pm National Office: Motor Neurone Disease Association P.O. Box 246 Northampton NN1 2PR Newsletter Contact – Lee Parkin 07930 490 934 Email: lee@mndaleicester.org.uk Registered charity 294354 www.mndaleicester.org.uk Sponsored by Greenshires Group www.greenshires.com

Leicestershire & Rutland Branch Newsletter March 2011

We hope you find this newsletter useful, please read it and pass it on to friends and family to help spread any news. If you have any social or fundraising events coming up please let us know and we can help publicise it. The more people who know the more people will come! Email: lee@mndaleicester.org.uk If you have any news, views, tips, help, stories or anything you think others might find enjoyable or useful please let us know. If you need any assistance with this there is help available, see numbers on reverse.

www.mndaleicester.org.uk Contents:

• Tree of Memories • Ol’ Blue Eyes at Birstall British Legion • Ratcliffe Chorale • Financial Health • Letter from the Chair • Past Carer’s Meeting – All Bowled Over! • Fashio Show • Friends & Family Forum Dates for your Diary