YORK IA

Registered Charity Number 1039683

SECRETARY'S REPORT 2008

Although we lost a few members this year our numbers are slightly up, a healthy influx of new members having more than compensated for them. We were especially sorry to lose Alice Adams, one of our regulars at the meetings with her home-made gifts and card stall, until she was unable to attend any more. She had been a volunteer at the Leeds Kingston Trust House before it was sold, and will be sadly missed by many of the older York members who knew her. Her daughter has generously donated half the funeral collection to York IA, for which we are most grateful. Another of our older members, Margaret Sweeting has passed away during the year, and because her family knew how much she appreciated the support given by IA and how much she enjoyed the Journal they wanted the considerable sum, collected at her funeral to go towards buying some hospital equipment that would benefit local members. Both these donations, plus the sum of nearly £1000 collected by a member in lieu of his wedding presents, will go towards the £2000 we are raising to spend on equipment for York District Hospital early next year.

This year we celebrated our 40th year as a Division at our April A.G.M. with a lunch, followed by entertainment. We were grateful that Anne Demick was able to attend and give us a most interesting account of her life in IA and how she came to be the National Secretary. We were also fortunate that our present and former Presidents were able to attend. It was especially good to see our very first President, Mr Tom Matheson M.D. F.R.C.S. and Joyce Gallon, our first Secretary and York's first Stoma Nurse, who together with some of the present Committee started the York Group. Thanks were due to all the Committee, and to the manufacturers, Bullens, Salts and Pelican who helped with the cost of the food and wine, which ensured that the sixty-five guests, members and partners had a day to remember. Afterwards we were entertained by the singing and violin playing of Will Dutton, a former Choirboy of the year from Ripon, who has sung and played his violin on Yorkshire TV. He was raising money for the National Youth Orchestra's trip to Italy and went away with a considerable sum from a very satisfied audience. At the meeting we also presented Scarborough and Northallerton Hospitals with equipment each worth £1000, thanks to the matched funding from National Office. We were represented at Open Days in York, Scarborough, Northallerton and Harrogate, who included a tea-dance, which was much enjoyed by those who took part. We must try one at York sometime.

Our Annual Coffee morning raised £222, and we had a most interesting and revealing talk at our Autumn Meeting, given by one of our newer members on, "Living with Auto Immune Enteric Neuronitis". Having this means you cannot take anything by mouth. We were all amazed and impressed by this young man's cheerful acceptance of a debilitating condition, and the way he had managed to work for so long whilst having it. I am sure we were all grateful that we only had a stoma, or pouch to put up with. With that thought, I can only conclude that York IA has had an eventful and nostalgic year.           

Brian Turner

Hon. Secretary