Worcester Heart Support Group

21 Feb 2022
"An Afternoon of Games and Puzzles"
In house

21 Mar 2022
"Lasting Power of Attorney made Simple"
Our speaker for the afternoon is Jackie

18 Apr 2022
"NO MEETING
EASTER MONDAY"

16 May 2022
"AGM"
Refreshments to follow

20 Jun 2022
"A Talk on Day to Day Work of Midlands Air Ambulance"
By our speaker Charley Burke

18 July 2022
"What Was Your Line"
In House Quiz Game

22 August 2022
Summer Break
NO MEETING

19 Sept 2022
"Harvest Festival Auction"
With refreshments

17 Oct 2022
"A Visit to the Cherry Orchard Chase"
Try your Luck- Some Win Some Lose

21 Nov 2022
"An Enthusiastic Historical Talk"
By our Speaker Max Keen

19 Dec 2022
"Christmas Party with Mincepies etc"
Bring your own Handmade Bauble for the Christmas Tree

16 Jan 2023
A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
Annual Dinner

Twenty-five years ago, I was discharged from hospital following a heart attack. I did not know how long I would live, and thought that I was an invalid. I went home and sat in the armchair, and my wife brought me cups of tea. It was not until I joined Worcester Heart Support Group that I realised my life was not finished. There were people in the group who had far worse problems than me, and yet they were bright and cheerful, and extended the hand of friendship to me. So, we extend the hand of friendship to old and new members, and invite you to join us in our social activities.

Phil Male has kindly designed, and constructed, this web site for the WHSG, to which we are most gratful. In addition to the Main Home page, there are events, news, and picture gallery pages, to keep members informed of any new developments etc. We welcome any comments, or enquiries from members both old and new, and I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting. You can contact us on the e-mail address below.

It is now 12 months since we re-started our meetings, now gathering on Monday afternoon, and with a full programme ahead of us. Unfortunately due to Covid and Boris tightening up restrictions, our Christmas meeting was cancelled. With Easter Monday falling on our meeting day, the meeting was again cancelled. Again in September we had cause to cancel due to the funeral of our dear Sovereign Queen Elizabeth II. It being fortunate that no speaker had been arranged for either of these meetings.

A reminder, please keep me informed of any member of WHSG who is being admitted to hospital, or is ill at home. This enables me to send a card or small gift, and make a visit or phone them, whichever is appropiate. Also I would like to know of any member celebrating a special birthday, or anniversary. Some members may not have put their date, or dates on the 2022 Membership Subscription form.

Jenny Davis fitness. We sponsored her when she set up five training classes for cardiac patients who were trying to regain their fitness. In total we gave her £1,000, which was highlighted in the Spring newsletter.

Worcester Acute Hospitals Charity. This was sponsorship for the succesful 3 Peaks Challenge that Paul Dewdney and team completed. The amount of £270 will be spent within the Cardiac Department to the benefit of patients. 3 photo's from the 3 Peaks Challenge are shown on the GALLERY page.

"Young at Heart" This is a Midlands charity offering help and support to families of babies and young children diagnosed with heart defects. We gave them £100.

When Carol and I joined our first walk with the group, John Taylor led us through Chaddesley Corbett village, and across fields, ending up where we had parked at our dining venue. It seemed like we had walked a good 4 miles plus, and this was over 15 years ago, and in those days a lot of our walks would find us climbing over stiles. How times have changed. These days we avoid walks with stiles, and to keep everyone safe and in a group, our walks are around 2 miles long followed by our Sunday lunch. Some members come along just for the meal and friendships that have been formed. Why not come and join us, as you would be made most welcome.

20 Feb 2023
"Beetle Drive - Return of a Favourite"
In house

20 Mar 2023
"A Traffic Policeman's Lot"
Recalled by our very own Phil Ralls

17 Apr 2023
"Looking into the Future"
A representative of Barchester Homes

15 May 2023
"AGM"
Refreshments to follow

19 Jun 2023
"Looking ahead Living with a Heart Condition"
By our speaker Paul Dewdney

17 July 2023
"Worcester Porcelain : A Collectors Tale"
Colin Millet shares his Great Knowledge

August 2023
Summer Break
NO MEETING

18 Sept 2023
"Harvest Festival Table of Goodies"
Grab a bargain and enjoy refreshments

16 Oct 2023
"Play your Cards Right"
Hosted by John and Ann

20 Nov 2023
"Living Well"
By Rebkah Harris

18 Dec 2023
"Christmas Party with Mincepies etc"
Bring along a home made Christmas card

15 Jan 2024
A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
Annual Dinner at Worcs Golf & Country Club

Hello everyone, and welcome to our Spring Newsletter 2023. The Worcester Heart Support Group started in 1992, when Sister Adelle Cripps met with six patients in the boardroom at the old Ronkswood Hospital. From this small beginning the group flourished and grew. A committee was formed, social meetings were organised every month, and a few years later Adelle started a phase 4 exercise class. This exercise class comprised of six members who met met on a weekly basis at Scales Pharmacy in Barbourne, Worcester.

We had to walk through the shop in our exercise gear, and climb the stairs to a small room that was kitted out with machines. The sessions were run by a Sports Trainer who fitted heart monitors on us, and kept an eye on the readings. I do not think that we fitted the profile that she wanted because after 6 months she kicked us out, and we had to find another venue. So, the long lasting legacy of Sister Adelle Cripps efforts is that the Worcester Heart Support Group is still running after 30 years and that phase 4 exercise have multiplied, and now take place all over the county.

These exercise sessions are currently run by Jenny Davis, (see advert logo on EVENTS page). She is a specially qualified cardiac trainer and keeps a watchful on us at every session. Each exercise is graded in three sections, easy, moderate, and advanced so participants can pace themselves. Scientists say that exercise releases endorphins into the blood stream to give us that "Feel Good" factor. I'm not a scientist so cannot confirm that. I only know that after each exercise session I feel invigorated. Give it a try.

Having started our our varied 2023 programme, yet another tasty meal was had at the Worcester Golf and Country Club for our annual lunch in January, followed in February by a return of our very popular Beetle Drive. This month we have a very interesting speaker, Phil Ralls, a member of our Group entertaining us with his talk on 'A Traffic Policeman's Lot' when we could hear some very interesting 'behind the scenes' happenings. I do hope you can come along. April provides us with another speaker, a representive of Barchester Homes, followed in May with our very important AGM.

In June our afternoon is filled with a talk by a member of the Cardio Team from the Royal Worcestershire Hospital. Halfway through the year already, and in July Collin Millet shares his knowledge of Royal Worcester Porcelain. As you will see from the EVENTS Programme we have a range of events that continue to the end of the year. However should you know of anyone who could provide us with an hours entertainment - a talk, musical related, demonstration, or maybe you would like a repeat of a previous event etc - for future meetings, then please let me know. Hope to see you soon, you will be made very welcome.

A reminder, please keep me informed of any member of WHSG who is being admitted to hospital, or is ill at home. This enables me to send a card or small gift, and make a visit or phone them, whichever is appropiate. I would also like to know of any member celebrating a special birthday, or anniversary. Some members may not have put their date, or dates on the 2023 Membership Subscription form. Please let me know of any bereavement of a member or close relative of a member, so that I can send the group's condolences.

The committee are always looking for ways to use our funds to support heart patients. Previously members have been asked to identify possible projects that, potentially, we could support. The committee have used our funds to donate to:- The WRH Cardiac team's successful "3 Peaks Challenge" attempt. We then helped Jenny Davis setting up her gym sessions to help recovering heart patients, and thirdly "Young at Heart" which is a charity helping families who have a child with heart disease.

We still have funds to help other relevant organisations so members, please put your "thinking caps" on and suggest how we can use them to support current, and future heart patients.

Since the last Newsletter the group have enjoyed walks around Worcester Woods again in September. October saw us take a new walk starting at Perdiswell along the canal towpath before re-joining Perdiswell and taking in the old golf course. This walk was curtailed with heavy black clouds overhead and so the group hurried back to their cars just as the heavens opened up. Our Christmas walk, led by Pat Cooke, took us into new territory by walking the footpaths around St Peters, followed by a Festive Lunch at The Barn Owl.

Another new walk in January where we walked the Warndon Heritage Trail with its twisting leafy lanes, and its interesting historical connections. This walk was made even more memorable by Trevor Cooper's kind invitation that we join him for a buffet lunch at his home. 21 of us joined Trevor for an enjoyable lunch, and time spent reminiscing over WHSG photographs of previous walks and other group activities.

In 1961, due to growing concerns over heart disease, Lord Evans, the Queen’s own doctor, brought together a group of eminent cardiologists and captains of industry to form the British Heart Foundation. It was the first British charity with the aim of funding heart research. At that time, heart disease was the main cause of death in the U.K. Thanks to their research the death rate has fallen by over 45% and we now can enjoy a better and more fulfilling life because of their research.

The Worcester Heart Support Group is affiliated to the British Heart Foundation and your subscriptions and donations help us to support their ongoing research. One of the simplest benefits from their research is the promotion of exercise, instead of bed rest, to improve good health. This is true for most heart patients but not all of us. Some patients must take only moderate exercise, such as a short walk, but for the majority of us a regular exercise regimen is beneficial.

We must thank Roger and Carol Banks for organising our monthly walks and lunches. I know that Roger is looking for someone to assist him in arranging walks and if you have a little spare time, he would be pleased to hear from you and his number is 01905 616495.

We must also thank Jenny Davis for restarting exercise classes, following the Covid lockdown. Jenny is trained and qualified to look after heart patients and if you go to her class, you would be in good hands.The first session is free so you can see if it suits you. Click on the Jenny Davis logo on EVENTS page, or ring her on 07886726102 to find out about a class near you.

The 2023 programme is drawing to a close with a speaker on 'Living Well' in November, our Christmas Party in December, and ending with details of our Annual Lunch at Worcester Golf and Country Club on the 15th January, 2024. You will see from our 2024/5 programme there is a wide variety of speakers which I hope will be of great interest to you all; come along and join us at our monthly meetings and enjoy these future events.

A reminder, please keep me informed of any member of WHSG who is being admitted to hospital, or is ill at home. This enables me to send a card or small gift, and make a visit or phone them, whichever is appropiate. I would also like to know of any member celebrating a special birthday, or anniversary.

Some members may not have put their date, or dates on the 2023 Membership Subscription form. Please let me know of any bereavement of a member or close relative of a member, so that I can send the group's condolences.

I have reported before that the committee are always looking for ways to use our funds to support heart patients. Since the start of the summer we have only donated to the BHF, in recognition of our reaffiliation. We donated £200.

We still have funds to help other relevant organisations so members, please continue to wear your “thinking caps” and suggest how we can use the funds to support current and future patients. Our funds are now split between the Skipton Building Society, getting a useful rate of interest, and our Current Account in Lloyds.

Exercise is an important part of keeping fit and well and the monthly walks have been a regular feature of our group activities for several years. It is our objective to organise walks to make you feel better, not to challenge your athletic abilities. After all if you enjoy yourself you will come again. On our recent walks we have had more members meeting us to dine than we have walkers. So if you are unable to walk you will be most welcome to join us for a meal and the same goes if you just want to join in the walk.

Our other walks have included Pitchcroft and Gheluvelt Park where saw how the new bridge across the Severn was progressing and we are looking forward to walking across it when completed. Other walks include Perdiswell twice and then back to the country side centre where we walked County Hall grounds and Nunnery Wood. The last walk this year will be around Droitwich.

Since the last newsletter we have walked Worcester Woods country park at the end of April with the woods full of bluebells and the meadows with cowslips and primroses. May saw us starting at the Barn Owl and on to Saint Nicholas Church through the lanes to Trotshill and Warndon villages back to the Barn Owl. Where the walkers had a well deserved drink in in the beer garden before joining our fellow diners for our meal.

19 Feb 2024
"Quiz Night"
In house

18 Mar 2024
"Age UK"
Julie Neal giving background to services

15 Apr 2024
"Sight Concern"
A talk by Amelia

20 May 2024
"AGM"
Refreshments and Quiz to follow

17 Jun 2024
"A virtual visit to Mill Lane Nursery"
With Horticultural Manager Aaron

15 July 2024
"Quips, Quotes, and Anecdotes"
David Withey entertains

21 August 2024
NO MEETING

16 Sept 2024
"Harvest Festival Table of Goodies"
Grab a bargain and enjoy refreshments

21 Oct 2024
"Inside Worcester Crown Court"
With Marguerite

18 Nov 2024
"British Waterways Heritage working boats project"
An interesting talk/presentation by Vince Williams

16 Dec 2024
"Christmas Party with Mincepies etc"
Bring along your party hat

20 Jan 2025
A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
Annual Dinner at Worcs Golf & Country Club

Hello to everyone. Spring is here at last and we can look forward to some sunshine. We hope that you will enjoy the newsletter and I hope to see you at future meetings.

Thanks to Pat, our programme secretary, we have a varied and interesting programme of events and of particular interest was the talk and question and answer session by two former Mayors of Worcester, Roger Knight and David Tibbett. David was a heart specialist working at WRH and he also worked in Africa.

Also on our programme was our regular annual New Year lunch at Boughton Golf Club. This year only 10 members attended the New Year lunch, which begs the question, will members still support the Annual New Year lunch or is there elements of it that we could do better? Please let us know what you think.

The committee are also planning to revive our tradition of a day trip in August and this year it will be a day trip to Stratford on Avon, a boat trip on Avon canal and river, followed by lunch of fish and chips and all for £20 per member However, the trip will only take place if we have enough support for it, so please let us know what you think by ticking the relevant line on the back of the membership fee form when you send it in.

Finally, we still do not have any information about hundreds of heart patients who go through Worcestershire Royal Hospital each year, because of patient confidentiality, and those patients do not know that we exist. Jenny Davis, the exercise instructor is doing an excellent job in spreading the word, but if you do know someone who would like a welcome pack then please let us know.

As we entered 2024 our programme began with our Annual Dinner at the Golf Club - unfortunately with a very disappointing attendance of 10 people, needless to say all enjoyed a delicious meal. In February a change of programme as scheduled speaker for November unable to come at very short notice due to a family member contacting Covid and Quiz etc held instead. Thanks to our own John Bradley he kindly made contact with Roger Knight who spoke on a visit to America and his experience with defibrilators. Roger brought along David Tibbett who held a lengthy question and answer session on heart related problems. For the March meeting we had a speaker from Age UK who brought along a printed Guide for each of us on Health & Wellbeing in Later Life. Our future programme includes various interesting subjects, please come along and join us.

I am always pleased to hear of speakers for the future if you know of any. Thank you.

A reminder, please keep me informed of any member of WHSG who is being admitted to hospital or is ill at home as this enables me to send a card or small gift and make a visit or ‘phone them, whichever is appropriate.

I would also like to know of any member celebrating a special birthday or anniversary. Also please let me know of any bereavement of a member or close relative of a member, so that I can send the group’s condolences.

There have been no donations given by the Group this year other than that to the BHF, as reported in the Autumn newsletter. I have commented before before that the committee are always looking for ways to use our funds to support heart patients.

Our finances are on an even keel with funds split between the Skipton Building Society and our Current Account in Lloyds. We are looking forward to a much improved amount of interest now we are with Skipton. The Skipton interest will not show in the 23/24 accounts because the account was opened after the beginning of our financial year and we take the interest yearly.

We still have funds to help other relevant organisations so please continue to wear your “thinking caps” and suggest how we can use the funds to support current and future patients.

Since the last newsletter the group have walked around Droitwich meeting up at Waitrose car park. We made our way from there to Lido Park where we spent time looking at a marble obelisk with pet’s names. This was originally from Droitwich's Salt King John Corbett's pet cemetery in his grounds at the Chateau Impney. We continued round the park and then onto Vines Park and back to the car park. Being as this was our last walk of the year we had mince pies and coffee. This used to be a tradition on our Christmas walk provided by Mike and Rose Fletcher. Walkers then met fellow group diners at the Eagle and Sun for an excellent Sunday carvery. This year the group walked the grounds of County Hall and Nunnery Wood. I think we picked the only Sunday that it didn't rain. This walk ended up with dining at a new venue for us, The March Hare, where we enjoyed a splendid carvery. Not many walks to report being that I have been the only one available but with other members getting back to full or better health I may get some help.

REMEMBER AGM on Monday 20th May