Letters have been sent to the Fife Support Group informing them about a get-together on 4th September. Please note that spaces are limited so please return form asap. If you are interested in joining Tourette Scotland and the Fife Support Group please phone 01738 450411 or email info@tourettescotland.org
PROPOSED DATES FOR FUTURE FIFE SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS ARE:
WEDNESDAYS:
18th August 2010, 15th September 2010, 20th October 2010, 17th November 2010, 15th December 2010.
Fife
The Fife group has been meeting officially since August 2007, although we had also originally had a joint picnic with Perth members in Camperdown Park, Dundee in the June of that year.
The August meeting along with questionnaires sent prior to the meeting set the scene and aims and objectives were agreed. The aim of the group is to support individuals, carers and families of people with Tourette Syndrome (TS) and it's associated disorders locally. It is also to share information and exchange ideas. It is also intended to raise awareness of TS and associated disorders locally. The group will arrange further local meetings and events.
We have met a few times over the last 15 months, including an evening in Ballingry where Dr Dorothy Taylor (Consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist and ex medical advisor of Tourette Scotland) gave an informative talk about TS.
An Information evening was held in Elmwood College in November 2007. This was an opportunity to promote interest in not only establishing a local network for people living with TS but also interest amongst professionals. This was well attended and included a taster session on the "Introduction to Tourette Syndrome" training on offer from Tourette Scotland and a chance for people to see some of the many books/CD's/DVD's etc they have. This led to a number of training sessions in schools in the Fife area.
Another picnic was held at Burntisland, Fife in July. Some of the youngsters also visited the local fairground and played on the beach. It stayed sunny and warm which was a bonus.
In September 2008 we held a meeting in Benarty Tavern, Crosshill. No children at this one but it was a chance for adults to have a chat together.
We are currently looking at organising a fundraiser and a fun day for all ages at the ten pin bowling centre in Dunfermline in the Springtime.
If you wish to learn more about the group or are interested in coming along to a meeting then please contact the administrator on 01738 450411 or email info@tourettescotland.org
First Meeting Of The Year
We had our first meeting of the year which was held at Dell Farquharson Centre, Dunfermline on Monday 22nd June 2009 at 7pm. There was an amazing turnout of twenty plus people. After a short introduction to all, the aims and objectives of the group were discussed and agreed to by all. Questionnaires regarding future meetings, venue, topics etc were handed out and completed by all attendees whereupon Patricia Sinclair took the information to head office in Perth where it is being disseminated. The findings will be announced at the next Support Network meeting. After tea and coffee it was agreed the informal arrangement led to many new friendships being made and that there is indeed a need for such a Support Network to be formally set up in the Fife area. It was felt that the feeling of isolation that many have experienced would now be lessened and that there really were others out there who face similar issues and difficulties in their every day life. The next meeting has been arranged for:
Date: Tuesday 21st July 2009
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Venue: Dell Farquharson Community Leisure Centre
Nethertown Broad Street
Dunfermline KY12 7DS
Everyone is welcome to attend although we have no childcare facilities in place at the moment so please be aware that your children have to be supervised and are your responsibility. Hope to see you all in July.
21st July 2009
Another successful meeting was held at the Dell Farquharson Community Leisure Centre. There was lots of discussion on how to make the group work specifically for people and their families with Tourette Syndrome. The outcome from the questionnaire which was filled in at the last meeting was:
1. Meetings to be held on a monthly basis.
2. When the group feels it is more established they will look further afield to hold meetings at other appropriate venues across Fife.
3. The best time for meetings to be held is the evenings with a view to having special events at the weekend.
4. It was agreed that meetings should remain for all ages with a view to holding special events separately for children and adults respectively.
5. Meetings to be kept on an informal basis.
6. Speakers to be invited to some of the future meetings but not all.
It was decided to invite a speaker to the next meeting in August.
The next meeting will be held on Monday 31st August 2009.
31st August 2009
Fife Network held a well attended meeting at Dell Farquharson Community Leisure Cente, Dunfermline.
Lesley Gray and Fiona Fisher from Contact-A-Family (CAF) kindly came along to meet the group and gave a brief outline of the work that CAF do both in the UK and Scotland. One of their main aims is to offer parents of youngsters with disabilities/conditions mutual support and to encourage/enable local groups to set up so this group was of interest to them. They also run a helpline and can, for example, do a full benefits check for families. They shared some of the current work being undertaken and provided a number of useful leaflets and information for people to take and share. Fiona spoke about her work as a volunteer parent working in the West Fife area.
There was an opportunity for a general chat regarding various issues people had been encountering. There was also a chance for refreshments, chat and catch up on our previous meeting.
Date/Venue of the next meeting agreed.