Anyone else going to the House of Parliament

connie

Registered User
Mar 7, 2004
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Frinton-on-Sea
Hi, just wondered if anyone on T.P. was going to the H of P. for the Alzheimers tea next month. As you know awareness week this year is 'Younger people with Dementia' Having been invited I shall certainly be asking questions re younger people.
I shall mention Taliking Point in the course of conversation (hopefully) and just wondered if anyone else was going. It would be nice to maybe put a face to a name. So here's hoping. Connie.
P.S. I have had to call in several favours to get Lionel cared for on that day, and yet not let his routine be too disrupted. Fingers crossed all goes according to plan. Connie
 

Brucie

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Jan 31, 2004
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near London
I'm hoping to go if nothing untoward happens in the meanwhile. I'll make an early visit to see Jan, then head for the Great Smoke.

Hope to see you there!
 

Brucie

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Jan 31, 2004
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near London
Hi Norman

yes I think it is by invitation, and since the theme of Alzheimer's Awareness Week is "Younger People". I guess they have invited some of the Early Onset people from various regions.
 

Anne54

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Sep 16, 2004
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Nottingham
See you there Connie as you say it will be nice to put faces to names
I look forward to meeting you as well Brucie.
Anne
 

connie

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Mar 7, 2004
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Frinton-on-Sea
Hi, to help raise awareness I today telephoned my local newspaper. Told them briefly about awareness week and its topic this year. Upshot is they are sending someone round to interview me next Tuesday.
Whether we get 6 lines or 16 lines, all news is progress. Worth a try don't you think, Connie
 

Brucie

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Jan 31, 2004
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near London
I just received the formal letter about the Parliament day, with the enclosed leaflet. Congratulations to the design team - it is very good, and covers the Young Person with dementia angle very well indeed :) .
 

Brucie

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Jan 31, 2004
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near London
I have checked whether my MP will be there on the 5th, and received the following e-mail:

Mr. Arbuthnot has asked me to thank you for your email and to say that he is very sorry but in the evening of 5th July he has an engagement outside London, for which he must leave the House of Commons long before teatime. If you have an issue you would like to discuss with him, could he perhaps visit you one Friday when he is in the constituency?


This seems to say he might make home visits, in which case I have suggested a trip chez moi where I have all the documentary materials to call upon, or alternatively, to visit Jan with me.

Time will tell......
 

connie

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Mar 7, 2004
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Frinton-on-Sea
Hi Bruce , have been in touch with local memeber via his P.A. Very positive response in as he has another engagaement at 4.00pm on Tuesday 5th July. He did offer to meet me at 3.30pm privately, but as I hopefully will be meeting up with other people I have had to decline. He had expressed his concern to our cause, and wishes to be kept abreast of the ongoing situation. This is an area I shall keep under review. Connie
 
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Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
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near London
Hi Connie

I've had the following later reply:

Thank you for your helpful emails. We have looked at Mr. Arbuthnot’s diary and he could visit you at your house at 12 noon on Friday 15th July for about 45 minutes. Would this be convenient for you?

Actually this amazes me and I'm going to take him up on the offer.

not least because I'll be able to show him TP in action! :)
 

Sandy

Registered User
Mar 23, 2005
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Pictures Please

Hi All,

I just hope that someone can take some pics on the day and post them for us to see first. Let's scoop Newsnight for once!

Take care,

Sandy
 

Brucie

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Jan 31, 2004
12,413
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near London
If the sight wasn't just too depressing, I'd take my camera in the bath with me. :(

Where I go, my Fuji goes.

However, to be in Westminster today, I'm staying away from my broadband PC tonight, so may not be able to post anything here until Wednesday evening.
 

Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
12,413
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near London
Westminster, 5 July

Well the weather on the day could have been better, but we made it to the Houses of Parliament yesterday.

Good news was that a larger room had to be found because the turnout of carers was more than anticipated.

It was excellent to see so many people there, supporting the Awareness Week, carers, Members of Parliament, Members of the Lords, and people from the Alzheimer's Society.

There were three of us from TP there [though there may have been others who have dipped their toes into TP] and I was delighted to meet Connie and Anne [and her son], face to face.

My MP could not make it for the day but I will be seeing him at my house on the 15th, so in a way it is a double hit for me.

I did meet Sir George Young, who is Jan's MP [we sit across constituency borders], and he has said he will come to her care home, which he didn't know about until I told him. Whee! a treble whammy; three chances to talk about TP!

There was an official AS photographer there who took many pictures and for those attending, there was not too much opportunity to do so.

However, below is a picture of Anne, Connie and me, in the Grand Meeting Room.
 

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Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
12,413
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near London
and here is another of Anne, her son [aaarrrgh, I have forgotten his name - sorry Anne!], and Connie, outside Parliament.
 

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Jo D

Registered User
Feb 28, 2005
5
0
Essex
Hi Bruce,

I was just wondering if you have been to an awarness event day before? Could you tell me if anything came out of the day or what was discussed etc...

I have been onto the younger persons link most of all as me and my younger Sister have a Mum with Lewy body Dementia She was 47 when it all started and is now 54 and very sick.

Its just i've become very interested in doing something about raising awarness and wouldn't know where to start as our local MP is not interested. I think I feel this way as now i'm older and have experienced years of knocking on peoples doors (not literally!) to seek help and advice and have had some terrible years of not being able to believe the amount of "red tape" involved ( especially when it comes to care homes).

I am so passionate about this that I have started to write my experience. Mostly for myself but also with the hope that one day someone might listen and realise that there are so so many people suffering with this horrendous disease. Something must be done to help our loved ones and the barriers need to come down. For instance me and my Sister where very nearly taken to court as we took over my Mums house as she started to get sick but Social Services accused us of manipulating her. (They wanted the money from the sale of Mums home to pay for her care) -it could of left us homeless but we fault them alone with no one to help us.

Is there any way I could become involved in something?

Joanne
 

Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
12,413
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near London
Hello Joanne

Yesterday was my first such event!

I have been interviewed for magazine articles previously, I've supplied diaries to be used by the Alzheimer's Society, Jan and I were featured on the "Love is Forever" brochure produced by the Society earlier this year, and I appeared on the "This Morning" TV programme on Valentine's Day.

Aside from those times, I have really only concentrated on making sure that Jan is well and cared for, as well as trying to re-build a trashed life for myself.

Speaking to Connie and Anne yesterday, I was in awe at their activities to raise awareness and raise funds..... and they are still caring for their partners at home!

So they are probably better placed than I to advise you - as of course is the amazing team at Alzheimer's Society HQ who handle the press and campaigning.

I seem to be fortunate in that my MP and Jan's both seem very open to discussion of the topic of dementia, and concerned at the plight of sufferers and carers. The other MPs at the Tea yesterday were all similarly impressive.

I would expect that the day yesterday mostly contributes to other efforts made by the Society, its branches, and others. I don't think anyone expects more than increased awareness, new and improved contacts between everyone involved, and opportunities to do more in the future.

Very soon there will be a Talking Point leaflet produced and it is at events like yesterday that it will be ideal to be able to hand such a thing out.

Perhaps others who do more in raising awareness, and members of the AS HQ will be able to advise you more effectively... :)
 

Norman

Registered User
Oct 9, 2003
4,348
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Birmingham Hades
Hi Joanne
I cannot find a great deal of time for any activity other than being a carer.
This is why I am happy to assist on "Talking point".
Like Bruce ,Peg and I featured in the "Love is forever" brochure.
I also am connected with D.I. S.C (Heart of Birmingham Information and Support for Carers)
Recently I was asked to talk to a group of 40 dentists about living with Dementia.
I am quite happy? to do this kind of thing if a sitter is provided for Peg.
AS are the best for advice I think although there are local initiatives available.
Norman
 

Anne54

Registered User
Sep 16, 2004
147
0
Nottingham
Dear Joanne
Good for you it’s nice to hear that you want to help raise awareness. If you contact your local AS office I am sure they will be delighted to have you help.
I helped man a stall in a shopping centre yesterday, my husband was at his day centre, mostly you stand and smile at passers by and hope they stop, we had a table with leaflets and AS things to sell.
I had never been to anything like the parliamentary tea before but it was good, my MP was there but I could hardly bend his ear about services, he sponsored the day and gave a speech which showed that he has an excellent grasp of life with AS.
Going back to raising awareness, have you looked at the events section on this site? I found that raising the money for on of those raised awareness in my area and I got in to Woman’s Weekly because of the Peru trip, a lady on the bus one day told me she had volunteered to help the AS because of that article, to me that was very good almost better than the money I raised.
Anne