Oxfordshire Prostate Cancer Support Group
Newsletter 8th. January 2015
HAPPY NEW YEAR…
…to all our members and friends. May this be a year of good health and happiness for all. As you can read below it will be an important year of change for OPCSG and we shall need strong support from our members if we are to continue the active involvement in the community that we have built up in the last three years under the leadership of Dave Beesley.
GROUP MEETING MONDAY 26 JANUARY (NB CHANGE FROM PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED DATE)
‘Diagnosing Prostate Cancer in General Practice’.
Dr. Peter Rose worked as a GP in Oxfordshire for 32 years until last summer. He now fulfils a variety of roles as an academic GP, including running a project with nurses delivering follow-up to cancer, and running a company educating GPs. He will talk about the vital role of the GP in diagnosing prostate cancer and the challenge faced by a GP who may meet only one or two cases a year. This will be a fascinating insight into the work of the professional whose decisions are at the heart of cancer diagnosis, and Peter is willing to answer your questions after his talk.
OPCSG – THE WAY FORWARD IN 2015
There will be important elections at our AGM on Monday 9 March. Under our Constitution the Chairman is not eligible for election for a fourth successive term in office, which means that Dave Beesley will be stepping down from that role after three years of committed leadership. It will be difficult to replace his drive, energy and the breadth of his connections, and we need to refresh Committee membership. Nominations – or volunteers! – to serve on the Committee are urgently needed: we believe that the present Committee has done a satisfactory job but we shall not be able to maintain the present level of commitments without help. Please contact one of the Committee if you think you might be able to help, in however small a way. There are still hundreds of prostate cancer patients in Oxfordshire whom we are not reaching: we need your help in order to do so.
FUNDRAISING SUCCESSES
- OPCSG member Basil Wales organised donations for the group around the celebration of his 80th. birthday. He has sent us a cheque for £120.46. Thank you Basil – and Happy Birthday!
- OPCSG member Gerry Tucker had the idea of keeping a dedicated collecting box at home for a year. He has returned it with a total of £72.40 collected - as simple as that. Thank you very much, Gerry!
- Customers at Waitrose in Wantage have followed the example of those in Witney and Thame by voting a substantial sum to OPCSG in the Community Matters scheme. Community Matters is the scheme whereby Waitrose generously offer £1000 and allow their customers to vote for a month between three nominated charities. OPCSG received 36% of the votes cast in Wantage and therefore a donation of £360, another example of our impact in the community. Our thanks go to Waitrose and their supportive customers.
If you know someone who would like to make a donation direct to OPCSG funds please go to https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/oxfordshireprostatecancersupportgroup. OPCSG can benefit from the additional 25% Gift Aid element from donations made by taxpayers via My Donate.
LADIES LEAD THE WAY AT SKITTLES
Both the winners at the annual OPCSG skittles evening on 6 December at The Ferryman, Bablock Hythe, were ladies. The main skittling competition was won by Glenys Hudson, who with her husband John was a guest from the fundraising charity DUO (Department of Urology Oxford), while the knockout round saw Margaret Beesley, wife of OPCSG Chairman Dave, emerge victorious.
INVITATION TO A PAMPER EVENING
OPCSG members and partners have been invited by Cancer Partners UK in Littlemore (http://www.cancerpartnersuk.org/) to join in a special evening - 'Pamper Evening' - on Thursday 22 January from 6.30 to 8.30 p.m. The evening will include welcome drinks and nibbles, a tour of CPUK's new Sandford Medical Centre, pamper treatments, and the chance to purchase natural health and beauty products. If you are interested in attending, please let me know via my contact details below.
PUBLIC TOILETS IN OXFORD
As you know from previous Newsletters we have been looking at the issue of access to toilets in Oxford in emergency. Councillor John Tanner (cllrjtanner@oxford.gov.uk), who has responsibility in this area, has told me that he does not favour having leaflets available which would list available toilets because of the cost involved. He told me that there is a list of public and community toilets on the City Council’s website at www.Oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decEH/2_Public_Toilets_occw.htm - but frankly, who looks at a toilet website when they are in need?? Cllr Tanner has agreed that he will look at the issue of better signage for Oxford toilets in the New Year.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2015
Group meetings 2015 - venue (except for river cruise and skittles): The Oxford Golf Club, Hill Top Road, Oxford, OX4 1PF
Monday 26 January – Dr Peter Rose, ‘Diagnosing Prostate Cancer in General Practice’; Monday 9 March – AGM with Simon Brewster; Monday 20 April – Professor Eila Watson, Brookes University; Monday 15 June tba; Sunday 28 June - river cruise; Monday 14 September tba; Monday 19 October tba; Saturday 5 December - skittles evening, provisional.
Details of each meeting will be published in following Newsletters and on the website at www.opcsg.org/homepage - do keep looking there.
If you no longer wish to receive this Newsletter please let me know on john@grundybell.demon.co.uk or 01865 730110.
John Grundy Vice Chairman, OPCSG
NB I shall be working abroad from 1 to 22 February and therefore unable to respond to messages during that period.