President’s Message

We say a very reluctant farewell to our Physiotherapist Jessie Snowdon and a huge thank you for eight years of loyalty and dedication to ensuring that the provision of physiotherapy services to people with MS and Parkinson’s is the very best it can be. Jessie’s creativity and tenacity has seen the Society develop programmes and services that are unique to Canterbury.

I know that this is not goodbye and that we will see you from time to time, so until we do, go well and enjoy your family.

Maree Stewart, who joined the Society in August 2013 to provide maternity leave cover for Jessie, has been appointed permanently to the Physiotherapist role following Jessie’s resignation.

Member Survey

The Society will be conducting a Member Survey later in the year and we’d greatly appreciate your participation. The survey not only provides us with valuable feedback on the level of member satisfaction with the services and programmes we provide, but also yields important data for the grant-making organisations whose contributions the Society relies on to be active in the community.

Many of you will be aware that the funding environment has become more contestable as increasing numbers of new organisations have emerged and as the demand for services across the not-for-profit sector has grown. The survey results provide evidence that there’s a demand in the community for the work the Society does, how this benefits individuals and the communities in which they live, and shows that the services and programmes we provide are beneficial.

Quiz Night

A heartfelt thanks to The Papanui Club for hosting another fantastic Quiz Night for the Society. We’re tremendously grateful for their loyal support and the many occasions on which they’ve sponsored our events over several decades now.

Quiz Night 2014 was a real cracker, with around 120 members, supporters and Society staff battling their wits against each other for the Champions title and a fantastic prize worth $300, kindly donated by the Tug ‘Lyttelton’ Preservation Society.

I’d also like to thank our other wonderful sponsors for providing a rich mix of raffle prizes:

A very special thanks also to the staff of The Papanui Club, particularly quizmaster Keith for an extremely entertaining evening and Gwen for providing essential support.

Parkinson’s Update

Our first Parkinson’s Health Professional Education Day is being held in August. The aim of this day is to give Health Professionals a better understanding of how Parkinson’s affects people’s lives and how to best support them and their families so that symptoms can be better managed and appropriate services put in place.

This year’s Parkinson’s Spouses’ Information Day was held at Christchurch South Library and was attended by 15 people. Topics explored the theme ‘Looking After Yourself’ and included a segment on finding out about the Home Support Services available in the community. Thank you to our speakers, Rachel Bladon, Physiotherapist, and Robyn Gourlay, Clinical Assessor OPHSS.

Electronic Newsletter

We have now transitioned fully to an electronic newsletter format. This means that we won’t be mailing out printed copies for the foreseeable future other than to members who don’t have email and to those who have specifically requested to receive a printed newsletter.

Please contact Annette on 366-2857 ext. 6 if you’d like to be removed from the email distribution and added to the printed newsletter mailing list.

Upcoming Events

  • 5 & 6 September – Carnation Day Street Appeal
  • 31 October – Charity Golf Tournament at Russley Golf Club
  • 2 November – Footloose Fun Walk in Hagley Park

Yours sincerely,

Malcolm Rickerby, President

03 338 1770, president@ms-pd.org.nz