REPORT FOR MAY - RESOLUTION MEETING
Our May meeting was chaired by Vice President/Secretary, Jenny Dodd, who welcomed 23 members to the meeting, and reported that President, Fiona Chadwick, was on the road to recovery following her recent spell in hospital.
Jenny then welcomed Mary Brunker, who had come to give a short presentation about the Yeovil Hospital Shop, as part of her campaign to recruit more volunteers to help in the shop.
Mary told us that the shop had been started in 1973 when the hospital moved to its present site. It provides a service for patients, staff and visitors and is open five days a week plus restricted hours at the weekends. The biggest sellers in the shop are bottled water and soft toys! A ward trolley service is also provided plus it is a newsagent delivering papers to the wards each morning. The annual profit of £38,000 - £40,000 per year is donated to the League of Friends which uses it to fund patient amenities and medical equipment.
Volunteers are always needed to help run the shop, usually working 2 or 3 hourly slots as often or little as they wish. Liz Brown, one of our members, is already a volunteer and spoke of how much she enjoys the experience. Mary encouraged us to think about volunteering and to contact her if we were interested (tel: 01458 241130).
The meeting continued with the business followed by the presentation of the resolutions to be debated at this year’s AGM.
Brenda Bickerton spoke on the first resolution:
This meeting asks HM Government to urge the EU to ban bottom trawling which causes catastrophic loss of marine life.
This resolution calls for a ban on the fishing practice known as "bottom trawling" where it causes catastrophic loss of marine life as opposed to a complete ban on all forms of bottom trawling.
Rosemary Richards then spoke on the second resolution:
Inappropriate Imprisonment of the Severely Mentally Ill.
In view of the adverse effect on families of the imprisonment of people with severe mental health problems, this meeting urges HM Government to provide treatment and therapy in a more appropriate and secure residential environment.
Both resolutions provoked much debate amongst the members and a lively discussion ensued. Jenny thanked Brenda and Rosemary for their informative and well researched presentations.
Our next meeting on 11th June, is the Out Meeting to Ilchester.
Our meeting on July 9th is to be a Comedy Film Night to which husbands/partners and friends will be invited so put the date in your diary!
Rachel Moulden, 19th May 2008.