Worcester Heart Support Group

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