REGIONAL NEWS
Auckland    Wellington   Christchurch

AUCKLAND/NORTHLAND NEWS

Members of committee have had a very busy few months planning fund raising initiatives to ensure that services can continue to meet the needs of individuals and families. The Association and Auckland Huntington’s Disease Trust ask you all to promote donations towards the costs of keeping the office and of providing 20 hours a week of staff time.

Jo and I split the 20 hours and have allocated primary responsibility for some family members, based mainly on geographic location. Jo tends to cover West — Central — East areas of the Auckland DHB and Waitemata DHB. Beth tends to cover South — North — Northland areas of the Counties-Manukau DHB, Waitemata DHB and Northland DHB. Contacts are received and made by phone, email, letter, and through home visits. We also share the education, information dissemination, liaison, networking and administration roles — all too many and complex to describe!!

Like all people of this electronic age, we are experiencing a demand for e-responses and mobile phone availability: BUT there are times when we have other priorities, such as home visit discussions which we feel are best completed without interruption and of course when we are in Auckland traffic situations.

Jo and I want to assure family members that we will refrain from establishing a “waiting list” and will endeavour to be quickly available. This applies particularly to new enquiries and those people who are “at-risk”.

Enough of the clarification of the current service situation as we plan for 2005. See the Tentative Programme to mark in your diaries etc. At this time of the year, on behalf of the HD Assn (Auck) and our HD community, we wish each and all you

Season’s greetings and best wishes for the New Year

Regards from us both:        Beth Gordon and Jo Dysart

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AUCKLAND/NORTHLAND TENTATIVE PROGRAMME 2005

Attended Office Hours

Weekly on Wednesdays  9.30  - 11.30 at 7A Taylors Road, Morningside

Committee Meetings

        Approximately every six weeks. Phone 815 4264 for actual dates.

Events

January        unscheduled

February        Joint meetings in Lower Hutt (19th or 26th)

March        Field Officer Northland visit (11th or thereabouts)

Residential Care Staff Seminar  (Wed 16th or 23rd)

Saturday Seminar (26th)

April                    unscheduled

May         Carers Day (Sat 7th or 14th)        

June                     Annual General Meeting (probably last Sat of month)

July        unscheduled

August        Evening sessions:        “at-risk” (date to be set)

 “gene positive” (date to be set)

September        Carers Day (Sat 24th)

October        Home Care Staff Seminar (Wed 12th or 19th)

November        Saturday Seminar (5^th or 12th)

Field Officer visit to Northland (18th or thereabouts)

December         unscheduled

Wellington

It is hard to believe that this year is drawing to an end and that it will soon be Christmas and holiday time for many of us. It has been an exceptionally busy year for both the committee and social workers, but a very exciting one.

Amaryllis House is now well and truly up and running with nine residents living there. It is a very "warm" home and is always such a great place to visit with so many activities going on there. The garden looks lovely with all the plants, outdoor furniture and a special water feature, which was donated to Amaryllis House by the Bradley family who have supported the Association over many years. 

Here is hoping for a good summer and lots of BBQs in the garden! Our thanks to Margaret, the manager of Amaryllis House, Ann, assistant manager and all the staff for making the House feel so special. 

With the expansion of the Association's social work service, we do hope you all have felt more supported. We welcome any suggestions you may have to improve the services in your area. 

Jane, Carla, Lynn and the committee join me in sending you greetings for Christmas and the New Year.

Dorothy Tortell

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NOTICE  - SUPPORT GROUP

I am currently assessing the level and interest/need for a support group in the Wellington region.

Would any carers, gene positive or “at risk” people who are interested in participating in a support group please contact me on:

Mob: 021 344 445         or

lfarrow.wellingtonhda@xtra.co.nz

Lynn Farrow, Social Worker, Wellington Huntington Disease Association

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Christchurch

Greetings to everyone.

With the news that HD is going to have a National Conference next year your committee has commenced fundraising. We kicked this off with a wine and cheese movie evening on 10 November. The movie chosen was “In My Father’s Den”, and with hard work by the Committee we finally made the numbers to achieve ‘full house’.   We thank our sponsors Paul Hoskin, The Mill Liquorsave and Pak’n’Save Moorhouse Avenue for cheese and wine. Please support our sponsors. 

Your committee works hard to ensure the continuation of services and if each family brought one ticket to fundraising events that would make our job so much easier.

It is intended early next year to hold a quiz/fun evening. Please do not be put off by the term ‘quiz’, it is intended to be fun with easy questions and everyone is part of a team. We will keep you posted.

Don’t forget the pre-Christmas BBQ at Mary & Ash’s on December 12^th. 

Congratulations Wellington on the opening of Amaryllis House, a huge effort has finally come to fruition. We wish everyone at Amaryllis happiness and success in this new venture.

Finally, another year almost gone, Christchurch Association wishes everyone a Happy Christmas & New Year. Enjoy summer and holidays and we will catch up with you next year. 

Louise Boyle, Chairperson, Christchurch Association

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