15 October 2023
Meeting report by June and Penny
A lovely sunny Sunday brought 14 of us together at The Kenrick Centre in Harborne for our autumn get-together at 12 noon, where we enjoyed a tasty buffet lunch with refreshments.
We had been hoping to welcome a new member and family but they were unable to attend. However a lovely new member whom we met at our pre-Christmas function came along for the first time, She said after that she had had a lovely day and that it had been good to meet others with HSP. We all enjoyed catching up, sharing news and some of the following points were raised.
It was mentioned again by new members that they would like to be offered contact details for other new members in their areas and we explained that we thought that this was something that the Trustees were currently discussing and that it was difficult for them due to being compliant with GDPR rules.
There was lots of talk about the different disability aids that we use in our homes and how each person came to acquire their equipment. Some people were still needing equipment but not knowing what was available or how to get it. Handrails for the stairs, trolleys, walkers and stairlifts were all mentioned. It was suggested to make contact with one’s GP who could then make a referral to an Occupational Therapist.
PIP was another strong topic, particularly on how to make an appropriate claim. It was of a general opinion that the application form should be completed as if it was one of your most difficult days. One person had got a very good outcome with their application by using the services of Age UK.
One person’s experience of travelling by train was variable. They said that the staff were very helpful and were ready and waiting at the station, to support them with ramps. However accessing the disabled toilet was completely impossible without personal support, which they were fortunate to have.
The majority of attendees all expressed a real disappointment on finding out that the AGM this year was to be a Zoom meeting again. Most had gone to the social get-together in October 2022. It was also suggested that the ‘AGM in person’ is better to be held in the same month every year, giving folks a constant and definite time to expect an invitation and to plan around. June seems the most appropriate month and has nearly always been used in the past, with longer daylight hours for travelling and summer holidays not getting in the way.
Our happy chatty afternoon finished at 3pm.