Worcester Heart Support Group

Welcome to the WHSG Autumn Newsletter.
There has been a breakthrough with regard to our communications with heart patients in the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust. John Bradley has met Sally Barker, the senior Cardiac Rehabilitation nurse. She is keen to publicise the activities of the WHSG. She has requested 50 copies of our Welcome Pack and has invited members of the WHSG to attend their Education Session and tell the patients about our group. This will give us an opportunity to recruit new members.
Pat Cooke, our Social Secretary, has arranged a very interesting set of activities and speakers for 2025.We hope that you will come along to them and enjoy the entertainment and the social “chat”

As we near the end of our 2024 Programme, having had very interesting speakers throughout the year with our usual annual inclusions. Unfortunately our June booking was unable to join us due to a last minute family commitment.
Our Programme for 2025 has been drawn up with hopefully a mixed and interesting selection of speakers etc that will appeal to you all and bring you along to our meetings. If however you know of a speaker who could be included in our programme in the future, please let me know.
I would draw your attention to the April 2025 meeting where our monthly meeting will be 1 week later on the 4th Monday the 28th due to Easter.

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.
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 WRH cardiac rehabilitation team, as sponsorship for Paul Dewdney’s success in climbing the highest mountain in La Gomera. We donated £100.
We still have funds to help other relevant organisations so members, please continue to suggest how we can use the funds to support current and future patients. Our funds are split between the Skipton Building Society, still getting a useful (but slightly diminishing ) rate of interest, and our Current Account in Lloyds.

Since the last newsletter we have missed a few months when we have not walked due to me being unable to lead the walk for various reasons. We really need at least another one to organise and lead walks to help keep our walks going regularly each month. If anyone is able help with walks please contact me. For our July walk walkers met at Francis Court car park which for me was fortunate. We walked around Gheluvelt Park where our walkers were able to see how the new Kepax Bridge over the Severn was progressing. From there we went on to Pitchcroft and back to the car park. Now this was where I was fortunate because my car wouldn't start and if we were meeting anywhere else I would have struggled to get there.

November walk saw the group meeting and walking round Perdiswell with a slight drizzle at the start but soon stopped while we walked in and around the golf courses new and old. This was a pleasant walk with the trees showing their changing autumn leaves. On both walks Carol lead a few walkers less mobile on a much shorter walk where there were bench's to stop and rest when needed.